G. Eliiot Morris has the numbers (Trump starts a war with Iran that few Americans support). Emphasis in the original:
A YouGov snap poll fielded Saturday — the day of the strikes — found 34% of Americans approve of the U.S. attacks on Iran, with 44% disapproving and 22% unsure. The partisan breakdown reflects strong polarization in opinion: Republicans approve 69–12, Democrats disapprove 70–10, and independents lean heavily against — 52% disapprove, 20% approve.
This is a reflection of the lack of any significant effort by Trump to get the public on his side. I think this is because he doesn’t really care (as I noted yesterday). I think, also, that it demonstrates that he is not the multi-dimensional chess player that he is often thought to be. He is a man driven by appetite, surrounded by obsequious advisors (themselves driven by their own appetites), who revels in unilateral action. He has a simplistic view of international affairs, which is akin to what children learn in hour-long tv shows or movies, wherein removing the bad guy solves all the problems.
Moreover, in terms of political strategy, he has now started an unpopular war heading into midterm elections, where he is already looking at his unpopularity being the vehicle of loss of at least one chamber of Congress.
It seems worth noting that in an election year that already sees the public frustrated over prices, he has now created a circumstance, by choice, that will inevitably lead to higher oil prices. While gasoline is not as cheap as he claimed in the SOTU, it is one item whose price has dropped a bit in comparison to last year. That is likely to change soon, and perhaps dramatically. It is worth underscoring that people tend to be very reactive and aware of gasoline prices, given the frequency with which they fill their tanks and the giant numbers broadcasting the price.
A protracted crisis in the Persian Gulf could have long-term effects on price, and that will not be good for the incumbent party in November.
At any rate, here’s the comparison to other conflicts in the region:
