Vote may have big impact on views of Iraq war
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
2 hours, 12 minutes ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051215/ts_usatoday/votemayhavebigimpactonviewsofiraqwar President Bush isn't on the ballot in Baghdad, but he does have a lot riding on the Iraqi elections today — including, perhaps, American support for the war that has defined his presidency. Public opinion on Iraq has shifted repeatedly this year in response to U.S. casualties, upswings in violence and political milestones. Successful elections for the Iraqi National Assembly could sustain public support for the war and strengthen Bush's hand in countering increasingly aggressive criticism by Democrats. (Related story:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-12-14-bushiraq_x.htm">Bush says Iraq vote will inspire)
On the other hand, elections that are marred by violence or seem to stumble in the move toward democracy probably would fuel calls to speed the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"For Bush, what's at stake is the ability to push ahead with this new plan to rally the public," says Christopher Gelpi, a political scientist at Duke University. His study of wartime public opinion with colleague Peter Feaver has been tapped by the White House in recent weeks. "He's had a series of speeches which have framed the Iraq issue in a way that is likely to prop up support some, but the election is his chance to connect that to real events."
The power of presidential rhetoric, after all, has its limits.