The Risky Politics of Trump’s New War With Iran |
It may take a while for the immensity of Donald Trump’s war in Iran — the U.S.-Israeli military strikes, the scope of the conflict as Iran retaliates against targets across the Middle East, and the risks involved in any war for regime change — to sink in for the general American public. So far their political parties have reacted predictably, with all but a very few Democrats objecting to Trump’s refusal to consult Congress or announce clear war aims and all but a very few Republicans supporting the action with degrees of enthusiasm varying from guarded optimism to hooting jingoism. Scattered pre-strike polling was mixed. A CBS News poll taken during three days just prior to the attacks showed 51 percent of Americans and 84 percent of Republicans would favor “military action against Iran to prevent them from producing nuclear weapons,” but that’s a rather loaded premise. The same poll showed that 68 percent of Americans (and even 38 percent of Republicans) thought Trump had not yet “clearly explained” why military action might be necessary.
The first post-strike poll, from Reuters-Ipsos, taken on Saturday and Sunday, shows 27 percent of Americans (and 55 percent of........