General Petraeus Enjoys 2 to 1 Favorable to Unfavorable Rating

The attack on the surge by the old media will focus on General David Petraeus. Why? Their focus will be on the General because he is viewed favorably by 47 percent of Americans, while only 21 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him. Per usual, the other 32 percent are either blissfully unaware that he holds a significant role in protecting the country or have no opinion.

From Editor and Publisher:

"These results help explain why a majority of Americans, 56%, say Congress should not develop a new policy on Iraq until September when Petraeus reports on the progress of the U.S. troop surge."

Americans understand that General Petraeus will give a reliable and accurate accounting of what is happening in Iraq. His report could likely lead to an extended commitment based on measurable military progress, but could also (with his extensive knowledge of the Iraqi political process) present Democrats with a picture of a sustainable Iraq within our reach.

As pointed out in July, Democrats appear to be worried that the news from Iraq will be positive. The only way to mute that success now seems to be to destroy the messenger, General Petraeus. The old media will fail in pressing this agenda because Americans understand that 1) General Petraeus has enjoyed military success and success in communicating and collaborating with Iraqi leadership at a local level and 2) the Democrats have little credibility of their own left, after their leadership (specifically Harry Reid) declared the surge a failure before it even began.

September is coming, and the news is beginning to look good for America. Unfortunately, for Democrats like Clyburn and Reid, that's a bad thing. I think that in the end, we will receive a mixed review, but good enough to encourage us to finish the job. That's a win for all of us, regardless of how the dinosaurs spin it.