Don't look at the Gallup Poll behind the curtains...

Instapundit and Captain's Quarters are surprised that not more has been made out of this Gallup Poll that shows favorable American reaction to President Bush's speech earlier this week. I, on the other hand, am not.

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup instant-reaction poll shows that President Bush apparently persuaded many viewers of his speech Tuesday night to be more optimistic about the war in Iraq. Compared with their responses before the speech, people who tuned in are now more likely to say the United States is winning the Iraq war, that Bush has a clear plan for handling the war, and that the United States should keep troops in Iraq until the situation there gets better. These changes occurred despite the fact that this was not one of Bush's more highly rated addresses since he became president. As has been typical of Bush's speeches, the viewing audience was composed largely of his supporters.

The poll showed some movement bolstering support for the war. In fact, it showed Bush picking up ten points on whether we are winning in Iraq (up to 54%), twelve points on keeping troops in Iraq until the situation improves as opposed to setting an exit date for their evacuation (now at 70%/25%), and seven points on whether Bush has a clear plan for handling the war in Iraq (up to 63%/35%).