I can't comment on the mood of the country because I've been away for most of the past two years. And I can't comment about polls now or in the 60's and 70's. What I can comment on is what I remember about the mood of the nation in the 60's and 70's.

We wanted to win the war. We didn't mind the sacrifices as demonstrated by the blood and treasure expended. We wanted leaders who wanted to win as much as we did. That, for whatever reason, is what we didn't get. The leadership we had couldn't make up its mind whether winning was even a good thing. So they bumbled along, safe inside the beltway while other people died, always appearing mature and reasonable.

We put up with this for a long time until a critical number of people decided it just wasn't worth it anymore and we left. "win or get out now."

Personally I see a similar thing happening now. We have a feckless (thank you Bing West) political leadership class that is afraid to try hard at anything for fear they may fail and look bad. They figure we are the same as they are so they are afraid to ask us to make the efforts (by us, I mean people who aren't in the military or otherwise serving) needed to win the war. So they have bumbled along.

In both these wars, the fundamental problem is not with the character of the American people, it is with the character of the people inside the beltway, in academia and in the media.