Remember a few months ago when Matthew Dowd came out and said, Kerry was right on Iraq? Well, he’s stepping out a little more now, just before the release of the Iraq progress report aka the Petraeus propaganda report. Dowd writes on the HuffPo that as “the Beltway ramps up the debate, I believe it is a good and appropriate time to reflect on the opinions of the people those in our nation’s capital serve — the American public — and specifically what they believe is the right direction in Iraq.”

He shares his thoughts “as neither a Republican nor a Democrat,” clarifying that although he “did serve as Chief Strategist for President Bush in the 2004 campaign,” he now considers himself to be “an independent and feel it is a good time to offer what I hope you will find is a measured, reflective and objective analysis of where Democrats and Independents and a large portion of Republican voters stand on the Iraq war today.”

1. In the public’s mind, the Iraq War was a mistake, and continuing the status quo is simply continuing on with a mistake. As a result, most Americans now view the situation in Iraq as a “rearview” mirror issue — meaning that the public believes it is time to focus on the process of ending our involvement and getting out quickly. They see American troops as targets in a place we aren’t wanted, and they desire a plan which achieves responsible withdrawal in the quickest and safest way.

2. The public does not see withdrawal from Iraq as a signal America doesn’t support the troops. In fact, the public sees removing the troops from harm’s way and having them in a place where the mission is supported, welcomed and understood as the most proper way to support our troops.

3. The public is waiting for leaders from both political parties to stand up to the president and say enough is enough. They would like this situation resolved — and soon — and there is no other solution acceptable to them other than bringing the troops home. The public will support leaders who would use funding decisions as a way to encourage and push the president to resolve this situation quickly.

4. The war in Iraq is now seen exclusively as a foreign policy concern, and the American public no longer supports the initiative as part of national security. This is in stark contrast to the war’s beginning — at inception, the public perceived it as directly related to fighting terrorism, and thus it was seen as a domestic policy issue connected to homeland security. Not surprisingly, the public gave it broad support. Today, this is no longer the case — the dynamic has changed and most of the public sees no “positive” relationship between the fight against terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Dowd concludes:

I hope this analysis helps bolster the leaders who are ready to stand up for the troops and for the vast majority of Americans in this country. Not only is truth on those leaders’ side, but politics is as well. It is my opinion that the best leaders are those who trust the will of the public, even if that means changing direction or admitting a mistake. This is true leadership and the kind of leadership our nation has always desired.

Bottomline… Bring them home. The best way to support the troops is for Congress to lead the way, change the course of Bush’s failed Iraq policies and bring the troops home.

Enough Is Enough.

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