Don't call them "sheeple."
Survey Shows Skepticism About Iraq
Most Americans Polled Don't Believe Conflict Is Key Fight in War on Terrorism
By Dana Milbank and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, November 5, 2003; Page A13
Only one in seven Americans agrees with President Bush's assertion that the conflict in Iraq is the most important fight in the war on terrorism, according to a Washington Post-ABC poll.
But the poll found that, although 61 percent of the respondents believe Iraq is part of the war on terrorism, just 14 percent think it is the "most important" part.
This doubt -- shared by some experts in military strategy -- poses a potential problem for Bush, because it indicates that a large majority of Americans disagrees with his main argument for justifying the continuing occupation of Iraq, which has proven costlier and bloodier than was generally predicted before the war. Experts in public opinion say it may explain why support for Bush's policies on Iraq has sagged.
As Bush faces public skepticism about the importance of the Iraq war to national security, he is also hearing similar doubts from some lawmakers in his own party. Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa)yesterday criticized the administration's thinking about Iraq as "one of the most misguided assumptions in the history of United States strategic thinking" and said the occupation could increase the threats to American security.
Leach, a veteran lawmaker who once worked for Donald H. Rumsfeld, now the defense secretary, said in a conference call with Iowa reporters that the administration expects a presence of six or seven years in Iraq rather than the "decisive" withdrawal he favors. He said the long-term occupation will create "more problems around the world and, potentially, in the United States as well."
The public's decoupling of Iraq from the war on terrorism is ominous for Bush, because the high marks he has received for fighting terrorism have helped to hold together support for the actions in Iraq, several polling analysts suggested. In April, 77 percent of Americans believed the war in Iraq was part of the war against terrorism, but this number slipped to 66 percent in September and to 61 percent last week, when the latest poll was conducted. At the same time, Americans' approval of the situation in Iraq has dropped to 47 percent from 50 percent in September and 75 percent in April.
Bush's rating in the fight against terrorism remains higher, at 63 percent. But this has slipped from 70 percent in September and 79 percent in April, as fewer Americans believe the war in Iraq has made them safer.
"These are very important changing perceptions," said Andrew Kohut, who directs the nonpartisan Pew Research Center polls. "What's going on is potentially threatening to support for the war, because it's no longer being seen as something we did to protect ourselves."
Meanwhile, the AP is reporting:
More Voters Deciding Not to Support Bush
By MARC HUMBERT
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- More than four in 10 voters nationwide say they definitely plan to vote against President Bush next year - more than plan to vote for him, according to a poll released Tuesday.
The survey by Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion found that 44 percent of the voters questioned said they planned to definitely vote against the Republican president while 38 percent said they would support his re-election.
An April survey from the Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based pollsters had found that 40 percent of voters nationwide planned to vote for Bush while 30 percent said they would vote against him.
The latest poll also found a drop in Bush's approval rating, which has been reflected in other recent nationwide polls. The Marist poll had the president's approval rating at 53 percent, down from 70 percent in its April poll.
In the new poll, voters were split on Bush's handling of postwar Iraq and the economy.
While it is still pretty early in the process, the relentlessly bad news is beginning to seep into the electorate's consciousness. What's really going to matter is what the war and economy news looks like during the primary season next spring. The relentlessly poll-driven Karl Rove has got to be concerned by these numbers. We can only assume that Kaopectate consumption is up at 1600 Penn.
