Marathon Pundit: War support highest since summer of 2006

Remember folks...John McCain was in favor of what's now known as "the surge" even before President Bush supported it.

Barack Obama never supported the war in Iraq, although when he voiced his opposition to the effort to topple Saddam Hussein in 2002, he was a little-known state senator representing a very liberal district, so his anti-war stance could hardly be called risky. Hillary Clinton supported the war, then opposed it. Like Obama, she now favors a staggered pull-out.

From Politico:

American public support for the military effort in Iraq has reached a high point unseen since the summer of 2006, a development that promises to reshape the political landscape.

According to late February polling conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 53 percent of Americans — a slim majority — now believe "the U.S. will ultimately succeed in achieving its goals" in Iraq. That figure is up from 42 percent in September 2007.

The percentage of those who believe the war in Iraq is going "very well" or "fairly well" is also up, from 30 percent in February 2007 to 48 percent today.

The situation in Iraq remains fluid, of course. A surge in violence or in troop deaths could lead to rapid fluctuations in public opinion. But as the war nears its fifth year, the steady upturn in the public mood stands to alter the dynamics of races up and down the ballot.