Looks like a new poll is up on
Polling Report, and it helps to put recent polling about Iraq, Saddam, etc. into perspective.
According to a Program on International Policy Attitudes/Knowledge Networks Poll taken about a month ago, 83% of Americans say the most important principle for U.S. foreign policy is to do what's best for the world, while only 16% say we should just look out for our interests.
This points to some tentative conclusions. First, it's quite likely that most Americans still believe the "insurgents" in Iraq are a small, freedom-hating bunch, rather than a general uprising. That would explain, in part, the fact that Americans still support the war as much as they do. Second, the rhetoric likely making the biggest impact regarding Iraq is that of promoting freedom and a better future for the Iraqis. This may help to explain why more people haven't yet gotten up in arms over Bush's lying about threats to the U.S. from Saddam.
That's not to say that Bush's lying has not had and won't continue to have an impact. But Americans will willingly use "promoting a better life for the Iraqis" as a surrogate for no WMD found there.
This means that standard right-wing selfishness in foreign policy likely won't fly. It means that Kerry probably has quite an opening for pushing cooperation with the international community much further, as well as his qualifications for better doing so.
It also means that Bush may meet with more tolerance than previously thought for swaggering across the globe sowing freedom and democracy. He may even get substantial positive marks from his assertion that he believes promoting freedom throughout the world is his mission, rather than making people think he's dangerously deluded.
As I see it, the best thing we can do is acknowledge the goals of spreading freedom and democracy are noble and worthwhile, but draw sharp distinctions on the methodology and issue of competence. I think we're close to being there already, and that's where we'll get traction.