Poll shows solid, growing supportfor disengaging from war in Iraq

There's a lot to chew on in the new Washington Post-ABC News poll, aside from the headlines that the President's approval rating is at an all-time low.

A series of questions on the Iraq war, how Bush has handled it, and what we should do, suggest that if Sen. Russ Feingold is out in front of the antiwar mood in this country, the gap isn't that big and is narrowing.

By a margin of 57-42, people disapprove of the way Bush is handling Iraq.

When asked whether the U.S. should set a deadline for withdrawing its troops,39% say yes and 59% no. That is a solid base for withdrawal, and it is likely to continue to grow. Feingold has not proposed a deadline, but rather a target date, of Dec. 31, 2006, but that seems to be too fine a distinction for most people and the media to make. (Supporters of the war, of course, don't want to get it, so they can accuse him of wanting to "cut and run.")

In any case, the pollsters told the 39% who supported a deadline in the previous question that a Dec 31, 2006 deadline has been proposed for withdrawing US military forces from Iraq, and asked their reaction. Four per cent said that was too soon; 45% said it was too late; the other 50% thought it was just right.

So 20% of the population thinks Feingold's date is just right, and another 19% think we should set an earlier deadline. That's a good start.

More telling, perhaps, was the question; "Do you think Democrats have gone too far or not far enough in opposing the war in Iraq?"

Fifty-three per cent said "Not far enough," 37% said they've gone too far, and 4%, like Goldilocks, thought it was just right.

Finally, people were asked whether they think the US should keep troops in Iraq until civil order is restored, even if that means more US casualties, or whether the US should withdraw to avoid further casualties, even if that means civil order is not restored. Respondents said we should stay, but the margin was only 54-44, and it has been in steady decline since July 2003, when 72% said we should stay no matter what.

The message is that people's patience is wearing thin. They don't see progress, they don't like Bush's handling of the war, and they are beginning to look for a way out. It may take some time to reach a consensus on how to do it, but that is the direction this country is headed.

If you want to pore over the results and offer your own analysis, feel free. Here's the link.