From a blogger’s call with Tony Snow today, courtesy of Jim Geraghty at NRO: “So far we have had very few visuals to confirm what Americans want to believe. We have an amazing and heroic American military… The only way to change public opinion [on Iraq] is to present a fuller, more nuanced and more accurate picture.” ..Snow says he’s going to put up slides, video, and audio on new screens behind him during the daily press briefing.”
That’s good news. Of course, I must note this passage from my column yesterday: Somehow, some way, create a new narrative. Pull in outside communications advisors, perhaps, and figure out a way to tell the stories of this war’s heroes — its Audie Murphys, its Sergeant Yorks, its Andrew Jacksons or (to bolster the idea that we still do have allies) even its Lafayettes. Trumpet the successes in Iraq — the hospitals built, the schools opened, the new businesses started — and explain how we Americans might benefit from a friendly and more prosperous Iraq. (It’s also a good idea always to provide photos and footage of us doing good over there. This helps balance the ugly images that normally emerge from Iraq.)