Retiring Guy's Digest: GET ME REWRITE: Sleepy Don started a most unpopular war

Bar graph and headline: Strength in Numbers, 3/13/2026

G. Morris Elliott explains:

A simple explanation for Trump’s non-rally is that his war is unpopular. I found that on average, just 38% of voters said they approved of the U.S. strikes in Iran.

But a full accounting of why polling rallies have happened historically reveals a more interesting story of public opinion about presidents and their wars.

I compiled approval data for every major U.S. military conflict since 1941 and compared the change in net presidential approval after the onset of hostilities. Then I went back to the political science literature on rally effects to figure out why Trump’s numbers haven’t moved. Scholars have identified roughly five conditions that produce a rally. Trump’s war fails on nearly all of them. [emphasis added]

Lots more graphs in Elliott's post.

Related posts:

March 11-15, 2026

First tariffs, now war in Iran. Trump is fucking over American farmers big time. (3/13)
Meet Chris Wright, clown serving as Trumps energy secretary. (3/12)

March 6-10, 2026

Sycophants at Fox News give Trump cover with old news clip for his disrespect of slain soldiers. (3/9)

Thanks to Trump War of Whimsy, you are now paying more at the pump. (3/9)

Trump War of Whimsy on Iran: From "yours to take" to "unconditional surrender". (3/8)

Donald Trump foolishly takes Randy Newman's advice: You can leave your hat on. (3/8)

Stranded in the Middle East? Sorry, folks, Trump doesn't give a shit about you. (3/7)

Crude oil futures up 35% since start of Iran "conflict". (3/6)

GOP as a bag of pretzels. (3/6)

March 1-5. 2026

Thanks to Trump's War of Whimsy against Iran, the price of crude oil has recently shot up 22%. (3/5)

War of Whimsey aided and abetted by cowering and caving GOP. (3/5)

Pete Hegseth at the podium: This is exactly what an authoritarian's henchman and fulltime sycophant would say. (3/4)