Earlier we presented the Pew poll data on how unpopular Congressional Republicans were; that comprehensive Pew poll also has some interesting data on Afghanistan and Iraq.
The public overwhelmingly supports Obama’s plan to remove most combat troops from Iraq by the end of August: 76% approve of the troop withdrawal while just 18% disapprove. In contrast, a much narrower majority (53%) approves of his decision to dispatch 17,000 additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan; 38% disapprove of the troop buildup.
Once again, as go independents, so goes the county. And note that even Republicans approve of Iraq combat troop withdrawals.
Meanwhile, even if they support Afghanistan troop build-up (Pew), the bigger story moving forward is that a growing number of Americans think Afghanistan was a mistake (Gallup.) This Gallup data was published in USA Today:
American support for the war in Afghanistan has ebbed to a new low, as attacks on U.S. troops and their allies have hit record levels and commanders are pleading for reinforcements, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows.
In the poll taken Saturday and Sunday, 42% of respondents said the United States made "a mistake" in sending military forces to Afghanistan, up from 30% in February. That's the highest mark since the poll first asked the question in November 2001 when the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban government that sheltered al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks.
In January 2002, 6% of respondents called the war "a mistake."
A bare majority still don't think it was a mistake, but the numbers are changing over time. And as for Iraq:
The poll found more optimism about the war in Iraq, where security gains have dramatically reduced U.S. casualties. In 2008, 314 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq compared with 904 in 2007.
A majority, 51%, said the war is going well there, about the same as in September. Those saying it is going badly declined to 43% from 47% in September and a peak of 71% in January 2007.
While the vast majority of Americans want Obama to focus on the economy, and respondents in the mid-60s or more in polls say that the economy is the biggest problem to address (with Iraq and Afghanistan trailing badly at 6-9%), that doesn't make the problems in Afganistan and Iraq go away. Sooner or later, Obama and the country will turn its attention to the wars. When they do, the polls suggest that simply maintaining the status quo is going to be a tough sell. And if the trends continue, Obama may find himself at odds with the American people on what to do next.