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The mood of the American public was tough to accurately guage in general, if you don't believe this, take a look at those polls, and the different questions and subquestions that were asked. Can't imagine how the White House could have sorted all of this out...
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How? A vote. Question: Should the US invade Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein?
Cost: I'm not sure, but I heard Alberta is spending $3 million on Senate elections, which is about $1 per person in setting it up. If we assume the same cost in the US, it is $300 million, which is roughly the daily cost of the Iraq war. How long to set up - if they were motivated, I'm sure it could be done in a month or two.
I think it is about time people started demanding a direct say in our 'democracies'. For example, if we take the most war friendly poll in your quotes, 71% supported war, and the least war friendly poll implied 56%, though the question was not direct. However, what % of politicians voted for the war?
How about gun control? I've read polls that suggest the majority of Americans support gun control, i.e. the assault weapon ban. But, given the nature of politics it actually hurts your chances of election to support gun control b/c the NRA is a large, vitriolic lobby that holds more political power than people. Ergo, politicians don't support gun control despite the fact that on the simple question of whether automatic assault weapons should be banned, most agree. For example, Bush says he supports the current law, but refuses to take any action to further the ban b/c he needs the support of the NRA politically. System broken.
Please don't take this as an anti-US rant as is your wont whenever America is criticised, directly or indirectly. Canada has the same lack of meaningful power for average people, and I think it is high time important questions were turned over to regular citizens in some meaningful way. It's hard to suggest that either Bush or Martin represents the majority of citizens when 50% of people don't vote, and in the case of both Martin and Bush, fewer than 50% of total voters don't support them either.