Here’s a natural development you may not have seen yet: poll ratings for the president and the war in Iraq rise after the Iraqi elections, according to the latest CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll:

In the January 7 survey, 42 percent of respondents said they approved of how Bush is handling the situation in Iraq, and 56 percent expressed dissatisfaction. But, last week Bush gained 8 percentage points in his approval rating [on Iraq], with 50 percent giving him a nod and 48 percent disapproving.
On the question of whether sending U.S. troops to Iraq was a mistake, 52 percent said “yes” and 47 percent said “no” during the week of January 14. But last week, the numbers flipped with 45 percent saying “yes” and 55 percent saying “no.”