ZZZ has actually posed an interesting question--should our elected leaders use their best judgment and pursue policies that appear unpopular in the short run, or should they constantly try to stay in line with the majority of public opinion?
If they do the former, they are accused of acting like monarchs and ignoring the people they serve. If they do the latter, they are accused, as Clinton was, of reading the overnight polls to decide what their basic principles are.
War time leaders are frequently highly unpopular. Lincoln was despised, Churchill was unceremoniously dumped by the British voters after the war, LBJ and Nixon were hated. History often records them in a kinder light.
Sometimes of course the people are right and their wise and steadfast leaders are dead wrong. Vietnam turned out badly. We can debate the reasons, but little was gained by staying the course. It seems clear to me that the critics of how we have handled Iraq have some decent arguments. More troubling, the administration seems lost and unable to learn from its mistakes.
