Recent Pew Polls and machinations going on at the WH indicate that while Americans might be misled, they are not stupid.
Focus Groups Will Fight war on Terror
WASHINGTON, July 26 (UPI) -- The Bush administration has begun downplaying the "war on terror" in favor of "a global struggle against violent extremism," the New York Times reports.
Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Press Club that if something is a war "then you think of people in uniform as being the solution."
US Citizens Have No Confidence In Mission
By 58%-37%, a majority say the United States won't be able to establish a stable democratic government in Iraq, similar to the results when the question was asked in April 2004.
To be totally honest, about 58 % say invading Iraq was not a bad idea. So it's hard to put these two statistics together in one comprehensible conclusion. All I can guess is that Americans don't want to admit they bought into a bad idea. It also implies that Americans don't believe that this administration can achieve these lofty goals. At the very least this means that many of us thought the administartion knew waht it was doing.
But a new name and focus groups is no way to go after terrorists. It shows you that the Bush Administration is a political machine that cares more about framing arugments than governing.
It also shows that the GOP spin machine is not working with the same effectiveness. Maybe you tell enough whoppers and people stop believing you.