Shift on Iraq Found in New Polling
Email This Post
- 
Print This Post
-
Partisan Split on Iraqi Victory
Forty percent (40%) of American voters now say victory in Iraq is possible. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that a slightly larger percentage-44%–disagree and say victory is not possible. The issue splits on party lines — Republicans, by a 3-to-1 margin, say victory is possible. Democrats, by a similar margin, say it is not. Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided. A plurality of men say victory is possible while a plurality of women say it is not. Those figures reflect more optimism than was found a year ago. In July 2007, just 32% of American voters said that victory was possible and 54% disagreed.
Only 5% believe that terrorist organizations will stop attacking the United States if we withdraw our troops from Iraq. Eighty percent (80%) disagree and believe that terrorists will continue attacking the U.S. regardless of whether or not we have troops in Iraq. Just 13% believe that withdrawing troops from Iraq will make the United States safer than it is today. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say that withdrawing troops from Iraq will make the United States less safe and 45% say it will have no impact.
Most Americans-52%–said in a May Rasmussen Survey that bringing the troops home within four years is a higher priority than winning the War. Other research seems to show political motivations that if it takes losing the war to get Obama elected that is acceptable to Democrats but the converse is not true for Republicans.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) disagree and say winning the War is more important. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say that withdrawing troops from Iraq will make the United States less safe and 45% say it will have no impact. Fifty percent (50%) say that the people of Iraq will be less safe if U.S. troops withdraw. Only 8% believe the Iraqi people will be safer without U.S. troops.