http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=687 Released: March 16, 2003 Support For War Slips Back to 54%, 42% Oppose; Opposition Grows With Possibility of American Casualties; Bush Job Performance Rating Remains Steady at 54% in New Zogby America Poll – Support for a war against Iraq has slipped back to 54%, and opposition has increased to 42%, according to a poll of 1,129 likely voters conducted March 14-15 by Zogby International. Support was 57% and opposition was 40% in similar polling March 5 – 7. Both polls have a margin of error of +/- 3%. “When the president appears before the public to make his case, support moves up slightly,” noted pollster John Zogby. “But support quickly slips back down, and it’s part of a steady pattern we’re seeing. Opposition has been creeping up since early February, and is now at 42%.” Support for a war has decreased with the scenario of hundreds of American military casualties, with 47% opposing, compared to 46% who support a war under that condition. During the Persian Gulf War, 146 Americans were killed. Opposition is even stronger (50/43) when the possibility of thousands of American casualties is mentioned. The president’s job performance rating remains steady between the two Zogby America polls, with 54% calling it excellent or good, and 46% saying it is fair or poor. He fares slightly better with the self-identified investor class, with a 57% favorable, 42% unfavorable. Educators rate his performance more negatively, with 43% favorable, 56% unfavorable. Professionals and those in the medical field give higher negative numbers: 46% say excellent or good, and 54% rate presidential performance as poor or fair. Nearly half (48%) of the respondents say they feel the country is headed in the right direction, while 44% say it is the wrong direction and 8% are not sure. That is a reversal from earlier polling. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say they have never taken part in an anti-war demonstration or peace rally, and never will. One in seven (14%) say they have, and nearly one in five (18%) say they never have, but would in the future. ----------------------------------------------------------- I tried to post the charts, but I'm not that savvy. Go to the link for specifics. What I found most striking, in this time when pro-war types keep saying 2/3 support the war is the numbers supporting/opposing war "without UN approval or international support." Without UN approval or international support Americans voted: 47% Support 49% Oppose 5% Not Sure Spin away, warmongers...
Batman fyi in the Australia the national newspaper's latest poll of australians has Support for the War without UN backing at 22 % and 71% Against a War with UN backing
You would think that Bush's threats to the Iraqi regime over the possible destruction of the oil wells would knock off even more points. "They belong to the Iraqi people...."
This now becomes completely irrelevant. The decision has been made. What people like yourself must now do is to put aside their petty attacks and bitterness and support our troops. Americans recognize that military force is necessary to disarm Saddam and they back the President.
Thanks for the info, Smeg. And let me repeat again, the latest poll shows there are also more AMERICANS opposed to this war without UN backing than for it. Could somebody remind me why we're supposed to hate the French?
Judging from the original material I would say Americans on the whole are pretty evenly split, most pro vs. con differences are within margin of error. It really just depends on the outcome of the war. If the allied forces bowl Sadam over with few casualties, almost all Americans would support the effort. Plus there will be plenty of good TV footage for the administration with a) people dancing in the streets and b) caches of uncovered WMD.
T_J: By your spurious logic we'd still be in Vietnam. This president can ignore public opinion on this all he wants. He can ignore international opinion and opinion at home, but read the damn poll. Without the UN or a significant coalition, more Americans DO NOT back the president on this war. Nice try, rookie.
p.s. Jorge: One can support the troops without supporting the president here. I do and will. And my opposition to this war is no more bitter or petty than that of virtually ALL OF OUR ALLIES or HALF OF OUR COUNTRY. The Democratic Party might have been on the verge of collapse as you ridiculously asserted, but this president, in his arrogance, will ensure a close race at the very least.
Apparently Bush has called the Australian PM (howard) and asked for a troop committment, think Parliment which is currently in a break is going to be called back, hopefully some of his party will cross the floor and vote against. As for the French, my guess is the Standard of Fries, Toast, Dressing, and Kissing has dropped off!!!!!
Despicable Appalling Contemptible Disgusting Shameful These are all words which I would use to describe your behavior tonight, Batman. We have over 200,000 men and women risking their lives overseas for the benefit of our safety right now in the Persian Gulf and all you can do is sit at your computer and find fault with our Commander in Chief. The least you could do is support our troops and not undercut them with your cynical remarks. I would like to add that your poll is outdated. Take that poll right now and you have a *much* different outcome. Americans support President Bush -- even if your world-changing mountain-movers over at Rudyards think he's a moron.
The thing is that the UN NEVER backs war. There has been 26 armed conflicts since the UN was formed, it has backed exactly 3. Korea, the Gulf War, and Afgahnistan. All the others were fought without UN backing. In fact Russia pulled a France and threatened Veto in '98 on the Kosovo deal, so Clinton went it without UN approval. No one likes war, that is the deal. History will be a better judge then any of us right now. DD
How simple minded can you possibly be, Jorgie? I have said repeatedly I support the troops. It would be downright un-American of me to pretend to support Bush as he begins what I deeply believe to be an unjust war which will kill Americans and Iraqis alike unnecessarily in the interest of supporting the troops. I ALREADY support them. I hope they don't die. If they do, it will have a lot less to do with my typing than with Bush's arrogance. As you walk through the world tomorrow I hope you take the time to heap the same kind of scorn on one out of two people you see as you see fit to heap on me. Because that's how many people in this very country share my opposition to this war. Were it one in three, it would still be too many. It's one thing when Bush screws us with regard to money or the environment or health care or education. He is playing with human lives here and I have every god damned right in the world as an American to find fault with that. If you can't understand that, I'd invite you to kindly **** off.
No matter what, we still must hate the French. Or rather, Must we hate the French, or merely Chirac? A quandry. Maybe Saddam can check into the Ayatollah's old hotel room. Nice job housing that murderer, Frenchies. Nice pal, Chirac. You put him up at your house.
Incidentally, DaDakota, the poll clearly said UN approval OR international support. We currently have neither and England, our strongest ally on this, has a populace overwhelmingly opposed to the war. These days our big push is to gain Australian support, of all things, and you see from Smeg's poll how well that's going to go over.
Ok, I can overlook the personal attacks and temper tantrums -- I expect that type of childish behavior from someone incapable of controlling his emotions. However, this sentence which I have quoted above is absolutely sickening. To accuse President Bush of "playing with human lives" -- when in fact he is acting with good faith to protect all of us from terror -- is beyond offensive -- it is downright spiteful. It is clear that you have nothing but utter contempt for our President. This contempt colors every single word you write and discredits your arguments accordingly. For you to be so arrogant as to think that you have more information than our President on what constitutes protecting the lives of Americans is absurd. I support our troops.
Despite what politicans will tell when speaking for the world, the world actually spoke over the last month or two in demonstrations and they were basically ignored. Had those demonstrations been pro-war, the politicians would have milked every ounce of it.
Batman, I concur the world doesn't want this war. I think no one wants war. I just hope it is quick, and the Iraqi army lays down its arms and we take the country in a few days. Then we can get the world on our side as we rebuild Iraq. DD
