The Gallup Poll finds a peak in public discontent over the war.
by Mark Silva
Public discontent over the war in Iraq has reached a new peak, if only by a notch, the Gallup Poll reports today, with 63 percent of Americans surveyed saying the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq -- the previous high, 62 percent.
It's still not clear, Gallup suggests, which war has proved less popular -- Iraq or Vietnam.
"The new high in Iraq war opposition is also notable because it is the highest 'mistake' percentage Gallup has ever measured for an active war involving the United States -- surpassing by two points the 61percent who said the Vietnam War was a mistake in May 1971,'' Gallup's Jeffrey Jones reports.
"At that time, however, Gallup found greater uncertainty (11 percent with no opinion) and lower outright support for the Vietnam War (28 percent said it was not a mistake) than it does for the Iraq war today (36 percent), so it is not clear-cut as to which war was less popular with the American public.
When Gallup has asked about Vietnam retrospectively over the years since the war ended, as many as 74 percent of Americans (in 1990) said it was a mistake.
"In February and March 1952, a majority of Americans also said the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Korea, the only other U.S. intervention since 1950 that has registered majority opposition,'' Jones notes. "Last summer, just 25 percent said the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Afghanistan. Opposition to the first Persian Gulf War reached only as high as 3 percent, in January 1991 (before actual fighting began; after fighting commenced, the high was just 21 percent).
"By now, public opposition to the war is pretty well-established,'' Jones concludes. "Gallup has found at least half of Americans calling the war a mistake in all but one survey since December 2005. The average percentage saying the war is a mistake has increased every year of the conflict, and is nearly twice as high thus far in 2008 (the sixth year of the conflict) as it was in the initial year.''
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Comments
Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran........which candidate sings this little ditty?
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 10:59 AM
Mark Silva is, as usual, awfully selective in the polls he chooses to use.
He's even selective about the Gallup Polls that he uses.
How, for example, did he miss yesterday's Gallup Poll announcement: "In Gallup's latest tracking of the general election, based on interviewing conducted April 18-22, McCain has a one-point lead over both Clinton and Obama. " It's right there, easy to find, in the Gallup website linked to above.
Once again the poll-happy Mark Silva fails to give Swamp readers news of Gallup Poll results, when those results look bad for St. Barack and the Democrats.
Posted by: Bruce | April 24, 2008 11:11 AM
American public sentiment was wrong then, and it's wrong now.
It's taboo to tie our continued involvement in Iraq with oil, but ultimately oil and containment of Iran are the two main reasons for why can't leave.
Without a more stable co-existence in the Middle East between the Muslim branches and tribes, we will not see favorable oil production policies from Saudi Arabia and U.A.E.
Without achieving relative security for Saudi's and friendlier governments in the region, we can not expect a secure source of oil. Increasing quantity of oil production today come from governments that use oil as a tool or weapon against U.S (Russia, Venezuela).
When Saddam Hussein was in power, he negated Syria and Iran. Hussein viewed religeon as a threat to his power. Without him, there is a total collapse in the power structure......Obama should have saved his "clinging to guns and religeon" comment for the Middle East and not the Mid West. We made the mistake of going into Iraq, now we own it.
The brighter side is that as money flow back into Iraq, there will be incentive to decrease physical violence in Iraq.
Posted by: Andrew | April 24, 2008 11:22 AM
Andrew...I find it hard to say with oil at these prices that this is a "favorable" oil production from the Saudis. I also find it hard to say that 12 billion per month for Iraq will help us at all.
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 11:37 AM
Was war ever technically declared on Iraq? Isn't this more of an authorized bullying of a third world country.
There should be a new name for it. War gives the connotation that we're actually fighting some organized unit. In Iraq, we're just policing the entire country until the Iraqis can stand up so that we can stand down.
Maybe that's what we should call it.... a STANDUP.
Then, instead of WAR PRESIDENT, GW can be called a STANDUP PRESIDENT - not to be confused with a STANDUP COMIC.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | April 24, 2008 11:43 AM
AHAHAHAHAHAHA. This is great stuff. Everyone knows that McCain is going to win the Presidency. He's clearly the best candidate as well. As a wise man, he will lead us to the win in Iraq. Today Iraq, tomorrow Paris! McCain is just what we need to get that good old American "KICKASS!" back in our step.
Posted by: Mark S | April 24, 2008 12:15 PM
"Good old American KICKASS!"
Yeah, that what we need. Let's start a few more wars and kick around some more little foreigners and teach them a multi-trillion dollar lesson. Hey, I'll bet we could get gas prices up to $10 a gallon! We'll need some poor people to do the actual fighting 'cause us courageous neo-cons have more important things to do.
(Hopefully they'll learn a different lesson than they did the last time.)
Posted by: Tom O | April 24, 2008 1:22 PM
Bad news, anti-war lefties. Remember when you said Sunnis would never work in the same government with Shi'ites in Iraq? Oops, turns out that was just another of your lies designed to hinder our troops in their mission. First Obama and oil and now this. It's like all your little white lie chickens are coming home to roost.
The main Sunni Arab political bloc announced today that it was ready to rejoin the Shiite Muslim-led Cabinet, a step that could boost reconciliation efforts and help shore up Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's government.
Read it and weep anti-american left: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq25apr25,0,4561375.story
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 3:32 PM
The main Sunni Arab political bloc announced today that it was ready to rejoin the Shiite Muslim-led Cabinet,
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 3:32 PM
Just like a knuckledragger....The above sentence to the weak minded is proof positive That things are peachy...hell jeff...our own VP said they were in their last throes 3 years ago......
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 3:53 PM
"The main Sunni Arab political bloc announced today that it was ready to rejoin the Shiite Muslim-led Cabinet, a step that could boost reconciliation efforts and help shore up Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's government."
Great, so our troops are no longer needed there. Mission accomplished, right?
Posted by: Paul | April 24, 2008 4:09 PM
I am sick and tired of you drivebys and liberal Democrats being tired and un happy with the war. So what?
Polls Smolls I'm sick of those too. You guys manipulate public opinion to mirror your liberal views. Shove it! Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | April 24, 2008 4:17 PM
So Jerry, you're pepped up and happy about the war? Answer me this:
1. How many tours have your immediate kin served in Iraq? Afghanistan?
2. How many care packages have you sent this month? This year?
3. How many times have you visited any wounded veterans from this war this month? This year?
Posted by: jack hussein | April 24, 2008 5:02 PM
Now, Jack, don't be mean to Jerry. He serves his country by mocking anyone who disagrees with the Bush Administration. No doubt he's spent long, hard service in the 101st Fighting Keyboardists division.
Does the V.A. have a program to support Keyboardists who've fallen to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? (Maybe not -- all the loudest "Support The Troops" types in Congress consistently never seem to support the funding for caring for them afterwards ...)
Posted by: Whippy | April 25, 2008 5:33 PM