IT SEEMS THAT PRESIDENT BUSH’S STRATEGY ON IRAQ IS MORE POPULAR than a lot of people seem to think:

As President Bush prepares to address the nation about Iraq tonight, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that most Americans do not believe the administration’s claims that impressive gains are being made against the insurgency, but a clear majority is willing to keep U.S. forces there for an extended time to stabilize the country.

The survey found that only one in eight Americans currently favors an immediate pullout of U.S. forces, while a solid majority continues to agree with Bush that the United States must remain in Iraq until civil order is restored — a goal that most of those surveyed acknowledge is, at best, several years away.

52% think our presence in Iraq is good for America. That’s up 5% since earlier this month. Interestingly, this coincides with a major outbreak of Vietnam nostalgia from the left. Or maybe it’s not a coincidence. Whenever the war opponents start talking, Bush seems to do better. Somewhere, Karl Rove is smiling.