It's very difficult now for them to prepare public opinion for another attack.
The White House is clearly trying to prepare public opinion for a critical report by the Tower commission.
The State Department's remarks today were intended, in part, to prepare public opinion for such a move by playing down its military importance.
But others suggest that the Curia is preparing public opinion for another change in the style of the papacy.
Both sides were playing to their constituents and preparing public opinion for possible outcomes.
After much thought I've come to the conclusion that the only way we can hope to get this thing over is by preparing public opinion beforehand.
If it suddenly escalates, the ability to prepare public opinion on the importance of this issue may have been squandered.
Western analysts believe these reports are designed in part to prepare public opinion for the fall of Kabul.
While Edward works on that, the rest of us need to concentrate on the spadework to prepare public opinion.
"They were preparing public opinion for this," she said.