WITHOUT PESSIMISM THEY'D HAVE NOTHING (via David Hill, The Bronx):

Public ignores Iraq war naysayers (Jennifer Harper, November 24, 2005, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

Negative press coverage of the war in Iraq in recent weeks has emphasized rising pessimism among the American public about the conflict. But a new survey found that 56 percent of the public thinks that efforts to establish a stable democracy in the country will succeed.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press -- which also plumbed opinions of journalists, university presidents and others in academe, diplomats, government officials, religious leaders, members of the military, scientists and international security specialists -- revealed a marked disconnect between the perceptions of the general public and many of the so-called opinion leaders.

When asked whether they thought democracy would succeed in Iraq, only 33 percent of the journalists agreed that it had a chance. The number was even worse in academe -- 27 percent of respondents thought the effort would succeed. Among the military, however, the number stood at 64 percent.

No wonder the press and academics don't even like our democracy.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 24, 2005 4:56 PM