Russia uses nukes in Ukraine to “win” the war. Now they control land that has large swaths that are completely unlivable and non-productive for farming. And the “livable” parts Russia would have to spend huge sums of money to re-build the infrastructure from the blast(s).
Even if the rest of the world let’s them get away with that (which I doubt they would) it doesn’t seem like a very good strategy.
But that boost came because people were still feeling the need for revenge for 9/11 three years earlier. Also there was a hell of a lot of fear mongering and out right lies about Iraq that was being reported as facts from all the media at the time. So the American citizens had been primed for war and most wanted it.