The Latest Poll

October 17, 2003

Let me get this straight: we're just beginning to show real progress in rebuilding Iraq, and you, the average American, are having second thoughts?

Dude!

According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, six in 10 Americans say U.S. casualties in Iraq are "unacceptable."

Dude!

And just when funding is needed the most to get that country on its feet as quickly as possible, six in 10 Americans oppose the president's request for $87 billion.

Dude!

And if Congress approves the funds, you think they should be paid for by rolling back the president's tax cuts.

Dude!

That begs one big question: what the heck are you thinking? The time to second-guess all of these things is not now. It was BEFORE the war when the decision was being debated - when you were mostly in favor of invading Iraq!

Dude?

Is there any American among us who was not aware of the pain and suffering that war would bring? We've lost more than 300 young men and women. A number of Iraqis have also died.

Dude?

And did you really think rebuilding Iraq would be a cakewalk? The country's infrastructure was a mess before we dropped bombs. That is because the former government spent most of its wealth building palaces and statues.

Dude?

And because this effort is making you uncomfortable - because the cost of this war is adding to America's deficit - you want to make the discomfort go away. You want to pretend like we can avoid the sacrifices we must make if the Iraqi experiment has any hope of succeeding.

Dude?

And so you've bought into the claptrap about Bush's tax cuts. Just now the economy is starting to hum. The stock market is going up. Job growth is finally starting to recover. Deflation worries are passing. Do you not see the correlation between economic vitality and Bush's tax cuts?

Dude?

Tax cuts always stimulate the economy. It's not an opinion, it's a fact. Economic growth leads to more people working. More people working leads to more people paying taxes. More people paying taxes equals more money for the government. More money for the government equals no more deficit.

Dude?

What's completely odd about the latest poll is this: just when Americans are showing signs of sheepishness in Iraq, the Iraqi people feel precisely the opposite. Some 70% of Iraqis want us to stay until the country gets itself together. So strongly do Iraqis want to voice their opinions, some chased pollsters down in the streets to make sure their opinions were heard.

Dude?

But over in fat, dumb, spoiled America, too many of us can barely pay attention to matters of great importance. Too many Americans forget that this is a democracy - that we must listen, think and participate.

Dude?

Let me restate: We made the decision to go to war and it was a costly decision. It agitated our relations with many of our allies. Lives were lost. We continue to lose young men and women every week. And we're spending lots of dough. We've made a massive investment in Iraq and now is NOT the time to be second-guessing.

Dude?

Instead of trying to run and hide - instead of pretending the threat presented by terrorists isn't real - now IS the time to demonstrate our resolve more than ever before.

Dude?

The people in Iraq have a free press now. They are, in fact, watching the very same television shows we watch. Our troops are also watching. Do we want to send a message of resolve or do we want to show doubt and weakness?

Dude?

Look, whether or not the Bush strategy in Iraq has been the right approach should undergo massive scrutiny and continued debate. We need to really think through what we did and why. We need to analyze whether it was smart or stupid, and determine what our best strategy should be moving forward.

Dude!

But right now we have a job to do. Margaret Thatcher said it best: Now is not the time to go all wobbly. So what do you say, dude?

Duuuuuude!

Tom Purcell