Home > SURVEY: SUPPORT FOR WAR AT ALL-TIME LOW; 52 PERCENT CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PULLOUT

SURVEY: SUPPORT FOR WAR AT ALL-TIME LOW; 52 PERCENT CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PULLOUT

by Open-Publishing - Sunday 18 September 2005
9 comments

Wars and conflicts International USA

WASHINGTON - With Hurricane Katrina already costing the federal government tens of billions of dollars, more than eight in 10 Americans are very or somewhat concerned that the $5 billion being spent each month on the war in Iraq is draining away money that could be used in the United States, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll also showed that nearly half of Americans say the war is distracting President Bush from addressing problems at home, though an equal number do not share that concern.

Support for the war in Iraq has fallen to an all-time low, according to the poll. Only 44 percent now say the United States made the right decision in taking military action against Iraq, the lowest rating since the question was first asked by this poll more than two years ago.

The findings underscore the difficulty Bush faces as he calls on the public to show patience and resolve with the American effort in Iraq, particularly in the face of a persistent insurgency, punctuated this week by the killings of nearly 200 people in assaults in Baghdad.

When asked how long American troops should remain in Iraq, for example, 52 percent of people interviewed called for an immediate withdrawal, even if that means abandoning Bush’s goal of restoring stability to that country.

Declining support

Only 42 percent said troops should remain for as long as it takes to accomplish that mission, 12 percentage points lower than slightly over a year ago, when the question was first asked.

The nationwide telephone poll was conducted Sept. 9 through 13, with 1,167 adults, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Nearly two-thirds of the people surveyed said the war was having an impact in their communities. Of those, 39 percent said it was a negative impact and 19 percent said it was a positive impact. Here especially, the poll showed a stark racial divide. Fifty-eight percent of blacks said the war was having a negative impact, compared with only 36 percent of whites.

The poll found that the mounting casualties are wearing on the public. A plurality, 45 percent, said there have been more American military casualties in Iraq than they had expected.

Disapprove of handling

The poll also found that nearly 60 percent now disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq. And nearly half of those surveyed said they are not proud of what the United States is doing in that country.

The political divisions that have been present all along remain. Seventy-one percent of Democrats said the United States should leave as soon as possible, while 31 percent of Republicans and 52 percent of independents said the same thing.

The poll also suggested that there is a widespread reluctance among Americans to make any further financial sacrifices to continue waging the war, particularly in the wake of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/merc...

Forum posts

  • But since the Republicans control the ballot box through Diebold, it really doesn’t matter, even if support drops below 20%. These guys will be running the show until we regain a legitimate voting process.

  • I am certain that Jeb Bush will be the next president.

  • mossad1.jpg

    250 dead in Iraq this week - read about it

  • Don’t you get the impression that Bush has such a rock-solid support strata that no matter what he does or doesn’t do, his popularity rating is never going to drop much below 40%? Looks like Americans on the left and right of the political divide just don’t communicate with each other. A strong segment of Bush support comes from the fundamental religious right. But when Bush, as a religious fanatic is discredited, the religious right in the US may be seriously compromised. Bush opponents appear to have better communication skills, specifically writing. When Bush supporters post their views on blog sites, it really is distressing to witness the result. They immediately resort to invective, personal attack and obscenity. And poor spelling, grammar and use of all capitals (equivalent of shouting) is an indictment of the US education system. You can’t help thinking there must be a correlation between IQ and vulgarity, which is always so much worse in print. They react badly when their shallow, illogical, poorly expressed views are challenged and trashed. First road rage, then air rage, now blog rage. Those with such a fragile ego should really stick to arm wrestling. The forum is discussion and debate, not bare-knuckle fighting. This is why I prefer the “What I have written, I have written” approach. Be interesting to know whether "threatening behaviour" directed towards a fellow blogger would constitute grounds for arrest, or whether freedom of speech will win out.

  • How depressing. 44% still support our crusade in Iraq in spite of its cost and ineffectiveness. P.T.Barnum was right "there is a new sucker born every minute" but these days that would be a gross understatement.

  • ITS VERY SIMPLE..THE GREAT VACTIONER..AND HIS HENCHMEN HAVE GOT TOO GO..DO THEY HAVE TO BE REMOVED LIKE VERMIN? HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH??? SINCE BUSHY-BOYO HAS BEEN IN THE WHITE HORSE...3 TOWERS....OH YES..4 JETS ,3000 HUMANS+..2 VERY LARGE STOCK-COMPANY BANKRUPTCYS..AND TYCO...1 NICE FRESH TUESANMI//AND NEW ORLEANS AND 90,000 SQ MILES OF THE GULF AND BILLIONS IN DESTRUCTION..AND 100S OF THOUSANDS DISPLACED...ALL ON THE FOOLS WATCH..IS IT ALL BAD LUCK OR IS THE DEMON FINALLY HERE?...ALL I KNOW IS WHAT MY 2 EYES SEE...GOD HELP US IF HE GOES ON VACATION AGAIN..INVASION FROM MARS?????

    • I have yet to see a response to the question of our Secret Service’s non-action after the second tower was hit. I believe 9/11 was the ’Pearl Harbour’ Bush used to invade Iraq,so the question starts with,Why did Norad have ’war games’ in progress? The games were supposedly about hi-jacked airliner’s? They ’stood down’ because of the games?
      The reasons the Bush administration give for any events on their watch,are extremely fuzzy,immediately followed by outright BS.Classic example: "Who woulda thought terrorist would hi-jack commercial airplanes and fly them in to buildings" Condi Rice National Security Advisor...
      let her title sink in.
      Norad playing war games....terrorist fly planes into towers,Richard Clarke,CIA terrorist expert told Atlanta FBI too watch for potential air attack from hi-jacked planes during the olympics.
      Of course the Bush administration tried to stop any investigation into 9/11....why?
      but the one that absolutely makes me wanna....
      ABC news reported Bush was going to see his brother Jeb in Florida,and visit Booker T. Elementary school,that was September 9th...
      Bush,while sitting in that class room on 9/11,was told by Andrew Card that the second tower was hit and that the US was under attack...for the next 11 minutes Bush sat there and sat there,and sat there......is that unusuall? maybe,maybe not, But the most telling fact was what didn’t happen
      Why didn’t the Secret Service react to the absolute fact,The president of the United States was in a known location and as the presidents own advisor stated..."the US is under attack"
      WHY didn’t the dog bark?

      George Bush cannot have my support for his blatent aggressions,George Bush is guilty of crimes against humanity,and should hold a ’real’ town meeting and answer ’real’ questions.
      His’staged events’ are enough to make me ill.

      NB

    • Add to 9/11 the tsunami and the levy break in N.O. and you have alot of staged events that have distractedpeople from all they are doing to screw the U.S. Their media buddies cover these stories 24/7 while Supreme Court is filling up with manchurian Candidates, bankruptcy laws are expiring, etc... And Haliburton’s stock keeps rising as they have more rebuilding then they can handle.
      Looking at it realistically none of those events have been in any way harmful to Dick and W., in fact all 3 were very beneficial!!
      And, as they control the voting machines they do not have to be accountable to the public. Dick (with his approval rating in the 30’s) may very well be the next Pres.! Do not trust the polls..do not believe that there are that many people who still support these thugs, they control the media and polls also. If they report 46% approval for W. it may really be only 26%. You can’t trust any numbers...look how the media changed the exit polls on election night!
      We have to keep opening peoples eyes to the fact that there money is going right into Haliburton’s pockets and maybe enough people will get active and make their voices heard.

  • You know.....so what! The fact of the matter is, they were stupid enough to support it in the first place. Now, some of them are finally starting to see the light. Why spend all of this money abroad on some military action, when they could use it at home? Too late you dummies! Keep paying your taxes and funding that great American war machine that you all think is so damned important!

    Cam
    (from Canada)