War and the Media

Watching or reading the news is an exercise fraught with negativity which leaves the participant tired, weary, and wondering why President Bush doesn't just accept reality and hand the reigns of government over to the more lucid guidance of Cindy Sheehan or Michael Moore. Liberal spin is an ubiquitous and over-powering force that encompasses most every avenue of our news and entertainment culture. Ahh, but some truth here and there elbows its way to the surface of this informational quagmire and spreads the clouds of negativity and misinformation.

A poll quoted in the Washington Post suggests that some sanity in this misled and misinformed country survives:

Seventy percent of people surveyed said that criticism of the war by Democratic senators hurts troop morale -- with 44 percent saying morale is hurt "a lot," according to a poll taken by RT Strategies. Even self-identified Democrats agree: 55 percent believe criticism hurts morale, while 21 percent say it helps morale.
Their poll also indicates many Americans are skeptical of Democratic complaints about the war. Just three of 10 adults accept that Democrats are leveling criticism because they believe this will help U.S. efforts in Iraq. A majority believes the motive is really to "gain a partisan political advantage."
A plurality, 49 percent, believe that troops should come home only when the Iraqi government can provide for its own security, while 16 percent support immediate withdrawal, regardless of the circumstances.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/26/AR2005112600745.html

I am amazed that the citizens of this country can be blanketed... no, smothered with the words of the anti-bush media and still muster 49% support for any issue related to his leadership. John Leo wonders if the mainstream media knows the stakes:

Can it be that many national reporters are so afflicted by Bush hatred that they can’t let go long enough to report stories straight? Could be. Consider the entire backward-looking thrust of so much reportage, focusing sharply on what happened in 2002 and 2003, less on the stake we have in prevailing in Iraq. If we lose in Iraq, it will be the first great victory for global jihad, with tremendous consequences for the U.S. Can the media get over their obsession with Bush and focus on that?
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/johnleo/2005/11/28/176879.html

The answer to Leo's question is ofcourse... No. If our efforts in Iraq and the war on terror are successful it will be in spite of the dark synergy of the media, the Democrats, the terrorists, and other members of the opposing team.