USA Today/Gallup Poll: Narrow majority support Obama's Afghan strategy

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Excerpt__________________

By 51%-40%, those surveyed say they favor the plan Obama outlined. On specific elements, however, there is little consensus:

• Thirty-eight percent call the decision to deploy 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan "about the right number." Nearly as many, 36%, say that is too many additional troops, and 18% say it's too few.

• Just one in five agree with the timetable to begin withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011. Nearly half, 46%, say it's too soon to set a timetable, and one in four say troops should begin coming home before then.

An overwhelming majority worry that the costs of the war will make it more difficult to deal with problems closer to home. By nearly 3-1, 73%-26%, those surveyed say they are worried about that. A third describe themselves as "very worried."

There is also concern that withdrawing troops might make the nation more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, but the 55%-43% margin wasn't as wide.

The poll finds little appetite for the "war surtax" proposed by House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., and others to pay for the war. By 68%-24%, those surveyed oppose the idea.

There remains a significant base of support for the war. By 2-1 Americans say sending troops to Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was "the right thing" to do. Still, they split almost evenly, 48%-45%, on whether the United States ultimately will achieve its goals there.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-03-poll-afghan-strategy_N.htm

[Hutzpa]

1. Maybe this will quiet

the naysayers a bit, then again whom I'm I kidding?

[WI_DEM]

2. I saw a poll prior to the president's speech where his policy was opposed by +20

so apparently he changed some minds. Time will tell.

[impik]

8. NYT story

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/us/politics/03poll.html?_r=1&hp

[phleshdef]

3. So from that poll, popular opinion is way more hawkish than Obama's new policy.

[tridim]

4. Have any MSM channels bothered to show this poll on the air yet?

Yesterday I saw a poll highlighted from two weeks ago, but nothing about this new poll.

[fugop]

5. Interesting

An 11% difference is a "narrow majority"? Or am I misreading that?

[Hansel]

13. No you're not misreading. Obama is a Democrat, remember?

Anything in his favor is always going to be narrow in our liberal media. And 1 point against him is always a vast majority.

You must be thinking of when Bush was president. 11% difference in the positive would be a vast majority or nearly every American.

[rollingrock]

6. Post-speech bump

the media always frames every presidential, pro-war speech in a positive light, so a bump in the polls is expected, as it was for Bush. but it won't last long. in the long run, his approval ratings will go down just like it did for Bush.

[Hansel]

14. Or it will go up even further. nt

[rollingrock]

15. How so?

Making empty assertions doesn't help your argument.

[dana_b]

7. so half of the those polled are fine with

the war plan but most don't want to pay for it. wonderful.

[NewLIfeArea]

9. I drive and I saw.....

I drive I saw an.ti-War protester
A man hold sign "Obama is War Criminal "
Geez

http://www.daylife.com/photo/011C99w0Bbg9q?q=obama

[dana_b]

11. lovely

now what does that have to do with what I posted?

[damntexdem]

10. Narrow is what his support should be.

Narrow and grudging, but still support.

[WonderGrunion]

12. 11% is narrow? Or are they reffering to the 51% number.

Last I checked any poll that had a 10% or larger margin between sides was considered decisive.