Talking to Iran Is Not So Controversial

Americans have no great love for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ilan Goldenberg, however, argues that Americans have also lost patience with the foreign-policy failures of the Bush administration – and that they are now ready to start reversing those failures by embracing negotiations with Tehran. With the popularity of negotiations increasing dramatically since early 2007, it seems likely that Barack Obama’s leadership has played a decisive role in swinging American opinion in favor of engagement. John McCain may be in for a rude surprise: His hard-line position, and not Obama’s stance, is now outside the mainstream of American opinion on Iran. – YaleGlobal