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Hello Rich
The important feature of the Bush response to the election losses in 2006 and the surge is the correct reading of the message sent by the election results: Voters were not angry about the war in Iraq in and of itself, they were divided on that. But they were angry that we were losing: given that we were there, they rightly believe we should win. The election losses forced Bush to recognize that the strategy in Iraq was not working. So in “doubling down” he was receiving the voter’s message, not ignoring it. And it is also significant that he did this not for political gain, but because the voters woke him up to the right course of action. In my view, he has yet to be given the credit he deserves for the courage it took to act as he did.