43% Say U.S. Winning the War on Terror, 30% Say Terrorists Are Winning

The difference between those who believe we are winning, and those who think we are losing, is not very big. The reality is, the public is becoming more pessimistic about the prospects of the war on terror, surge notwithstanding:

The latest Rasmussen Reports tracking poll finds that 43% of Americans now say the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror . That's up from 39% a month ago and is the highest level of optimism registered in nearly a year.

The national telephone survey found that 30% now believe the terrorists are winning. That's up two points from a month ago but down two from the month before.

While the current readings indicate the highest level of optimism in 2007, some context is required. This year has seen by far the lowest level of optimism concerning the War on Terror yet recorded. An average of all surveys conducted this year found that just 34% believed the U.S. and its allies are winning. That's down from 40% in 2006 and 45% in 2007. During election 2004, more than 50% routinely believed that the U.S. and its allies were winning.