Know When to Fold'em

When George Bush and his failed policies lose the support of even the Republican Redoubt of the Third Congressional District, you know it's time to call in the dogs, put out the fire, and head on back to Crawford.

Results of new Northwest Arkansas Omnibus Survey released today show that a solid majority of local residents believe the United States made a big mistake by invading Iraq and should bring home most of its troops from Iraq within the next year.

In light of developments since March 2003, when U.S. troops invaded and occupied Iraq, most Northwest Arkansas residents (53.1%) now believe that the United States made a mistake in sending troops to the country. And, only weeks before President Bush vetoed a war-spending bill that included language about deadlines for troop removal, an even greater majority of local residents (57.4%) favor bringing home most U.S. troops in the next year.

Interestingly, 54% of residents from Benton and Washington counties believed the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, while it was even worse for Bush with rural voters where 70% of Carroll- and Madison-county residents thought the United States made a mistake.

These and other findings were released today, as part of the 2007 Northwest Arkansas Omnibus Survey, conducted by the University of Arkansas Survey Research Center. The survey, taken between March 28 and April 12, gauged sentiments of 602 residents of Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties. Of course, this survey was conducted before Karl Rove came to Springdale and foolishly promised the party die-hards that the Administration would keep sending troops to Iraq until January 20, 2009,

"Considering the political climate of Northwest Arkansas, I was surprised by the number of local residents who favored bringing troops home and who thought the United States had made a mistake in Iraq," said Molly Longstreth, director of the research center. "In the 2004 general election - and remember that Arkansas was a 'red' state - Northwest Arkansas residents tended to support President Bush and presumably his policies. I think our current results show that opinions may be changing or have changed, which seems to reflect the mood of Americans as a whole."

If voting patterns also change, the political ramifications of the above sentiments may be even more dramatic. Bush is now beyond irrelevant; he is driving the Republican base into depression. Look for huge Democratic gains in the House and Senate, and taking back the White House is a given. If Northwest Arkansas Republican candidates persist in embracing Bush and his failed agenda, they could also lose seats in the Arkansas legislature.