63 Percent of Americans Oppose War In Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

63 Percent of Americans Oppose War In Afghanistan
Amanda Terkel
[e-mail] | HuffPost Reporting
First Posted: 12-30-10 02:29 PM | Updated: 12-30-10 02:43 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Opposition to the war in Afghanistan is at an all-time high, with 63 percent of the public now opposed to U.S. involvement there, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey. Just 35 percent of survey respondents say they still support U.S. involvement.

The increase in opposition to U.S. involvement comes as pessimism about how the war is going is rising. According to a poll done Dec. 17-19, 56 percent of the public believes that "things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan."

"The war has not always been unpopular -- back in March, when a majority thought that the war was going well, the country was evenly divided. But by September, the number who said that things were going well for the U.S. in Afghanistan had dropped to 44 percent, and opposition to the war had grown to 58 percent," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Today, with Americans remaining pessimistic about the situation in Afghanistan, they also remain opposed to the war."

There are, however, at least two groups where there is still a slim majority of support for the war -- the Republican Party establishment, and Tea Party activists. Here's a look at the partisan breakdown of supporters and oppositionists:

TEA PARTY: 52 percent favor, 45 percent oppose.
REPUBLICAN: 52 percent favor, 44 percent oppose.
CONSERVATIVE: 49 percent favor, 48 percent oppose.
DEMOCRAT: 24 percent favor, 74 percent oppose.
LIBERAL: 20 percent favor, 80 percent oppose.
INDEPENDENT: 35 percent favor, 63 percent oppose.
MODERATE: 32 percent favor, 66 percent oppose.

[Bragi]

1. So? It's not like public opinon matters anymore

All these polls do is to make the White House and the military issue new contracts for more pro-war PR.

It doesn't matter that people oppose the war. If you only fought wars that people supported, then there would be hardly any wars, and those that did occur would have to be ended very quickly. Not the suff upon which to build an empire.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Fumesucker]

6. The war isn't really "winnable" through military force..

You might recall when Rummy famously said there was a lack of decent targets in Afghanistan.

The people there started the war with devastation like Germany or Japan after WWII, it's hard to improve on that level of destruction, all you can really do is make the rubble bounce which isn't terribly effective or an efficient use of a great deal of dollars.

Frankly I think we'd be better off and more effective air dropping hundred dollar bills all over the damn country, the population would be out looking for and fighting each other over the money and would make little trouble for us.

[xchrom]

3. Moderates don't REALLY oppose - they just SAY they oppose

And then deign strategies to keeps involved
For way longer than we should.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. Any "liberal" that DOESN'T oppose this war

has mis-labeled himself/herself.

[Enthusiast]

7. Ain't that the damn truth. nt

[blindpig]

5. Therefore our vaunted democracy doesn't mean shit. n/t

[Enthusiast]

8. We also wanted the public option.

And we also favor no cuts to social security. Democracy? Right....

[grahamhgreen]

9. How many more should die for the corrupt Islamic republic we set up in Afghanistan?????? V

[kgnu_fan]

10. Only 69% while our country bleeds gazillion of tax dollars to death??? Crazy!!!

[roody]

11. The war will end when the pipeline is done.

Why is it taking so long?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. We lost. Get out. Get over it.

[Still a Democrat]

13. CONSERVATIVE: 49 percent favor, 48 percent oppose.

Wow.

[Robb]

14. 48% of conservatives can put aside their hate of "a-rabs"

...long enough to oppose anything backed by a black President.

It's rough for them, I believe, prioritizing their bigotry so often lately. ;)