I ventured a guess last week that public opinion had long ago hardened on Iraq and that the elaborate dog and pony show of the Petraeus hearings would make little impact. Well, the verdict is starting to come in.
A new CBS News poll shows a slight uptick (albeit statistically insignificant) since the Petraeus hearings in support for reducing or withdrawing troops from Iraq, not exactly the result the White House was after. Also out is a new Pew poll which shows mixed results. There is a slight increase in the number of respondents who say things are going well in Iraq–an obvious objective of the White House PR blitz–but only 16% of respondents said Petraeus’ appearance made them more optimistic. Sixty-seven percent said Petraeus had not changed their opinions.
Some incremental softening of opinion at the margins, but by and large, public opinion on Iraq is fossilized.
