I've got to hand it to the guy, this is a public relations masterstroke, and may well make quite a substantial contribution to his election campaign with its grassroots appeal. He may also have genuinely meant it (in part) as a heartfelt show of support for the troops. If he did, that's to his credit as a human being.
It also makes not one iota of difference to my objections to him as a president -- that he's an ignorant, muddle-headed, lying warmonger with no respect for international consensus (surely the ultimate expression of democracy). He preaches freedom and democracy for all, while taking away other countries' right to choose their own path, not to mention how he undermines those very freedoms in his own country. I won't even go into all the dodgy business dealings, let's just stick with the obvious.
He ran the gauntlet to have turkey with the troops in Baghdad -- a good move for a commander in chief. But he's still a lousy statesman, a worse diplomat and a terrible president.