Why we are so divided on the Iraq War

What makes it possible for the country to be so divided over the Iraq war? The poll conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) concerning American perceptions of our war with Iraq and our other war against terrorism shows that we are divided along political lines, and that our politics are very much influenced by emotions. http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports

Do you agree with the following statement?	Bush supporters agree	Kerry supporters agree
Iraq had WMD or a WMD program prior to the US invasion.	72%	26%
The Duelfer report concluded Iraq had WMD or a WMD program. [This statement is factually incorrect.]	57%	23%
Iraq supported Al-Qaeda.	75%	30%
Iraq was directly involved in 9/11.	20%	8%
The 9/11 Commission said Iraq supported Al-Qaeda. [This statement is factually incorrect.]	57%	27%
The world at large opposes the US invasion of Iraq. [This statement correctly reflects poll results.]	31%	74%

The PIPA report concludes, "Eighty-two percent of Bush supporters perceive the Bush administration as saying that Iraq had WMD (63%) or that Iraq had a major WMD program (19%). Likewise, 75% say that the Bush administration is saying Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda."

This report indicates how insulated each side is within its own media and friendship networks. Bush supporters are more likely to trust the Bush Administration at face value and, like Bush, are resistant to reports that question the Administration's version of events. The report continues,

"The roots of the Bush supporters' resistance to information," according to Steven Kull, "very likely lie in the traumatic experience of 9/11 and equally in the near pitch-perfect leadership that President Bush showed in its immediate wake. This appears to have created a powerful bond between Bush and his supporters--and an idealized image of the President that makes it difficult for his supporters to imagine that he could have made incorrect judgments before the war, that world public opinion could be critical of his policies or that the President could hold foreign policy positions that are at odds with his supporters."

Kerry supporters are less inclined to trust the Bush Administration, so they look to reports like that of the 9/11 Commission to affirm or deny the Administration's perspective.

This divide is widened by each side's reliance on media reporting that confirms that trust or mistrust: Bush supporters are more likely to watch cable news that supports the Administration's positions, while Kerry supporters are more likely to watch cable news that gives equal time to the independent reports that conflict with the Bush Administration's positions.