These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
Voters Now Closely Divided On U.S. Chances for Victory in Afghanistan
Monday, November 23, 2009
The longer President Obama waits to make a decision on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, the more voter support for that war appears to be ebbing away.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that U.S. voters are almost evenly divided now over whether it is possible for the United States to win the war in Afghanistan. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say yes that victory is still possible, but 36% disagree and say it is not. One-in-four voters (25%) are not sure.
Just a month ago , 45% of voters said it is possible for the United States to win the eight-year-old war in Afghanistan, and only 29% disagreed.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) now believe all U.S. troops should be brought home from Afghanistan immediately, up five points from a month ago and up seven from early September . Another 18% say a firm timetable should be established to bring all troops home with a year, a six-point increase from the previous survey.
In September and October, a majority (52%) of voters opposed the creation of any timetable for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Just 43% feel that way now.
Put it all together and 45% either want the troops home now or within a year while just 43% are opposed to such a timeline.
Thirty-five percent (35%) of voters rate the president's handling of the situation in Afghanistan as good or excellent. But 41% say the president is doing a poor job, up eight points from October and up 17 points from mid-August .
Male voters continue to believe victory in Afghanistan is possible more than women voters do. Men are also much less supportive of a timetable for troop withdrawal.
Democrats still remain far more in favor of pulling all troops out of Afghanistan than Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party. But support for withdrawal has risen among the latter two groups over the past month.
Still, 61% of GOP voters and a plurality (46%) of unaffiliateds oppose setting a firm timetable for withdrawal, compared to just 24% of Democrats.
While 57% of Republicans say it is possible for the United States to win the war in Afghanistan, Democrats by nearly two-to-one disagree. Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided on the question.
Seventy percent (70%) of Republicans and 46% of unaffiliated voters say Obama is doing a poor job handling the Afghanistan situation. Just 10% of Democrats agree.
Clearly, the war in Afghanistan is important news to readers on the home front. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of all voters say they are following recent news stories about the situation in Afghanistan at least somewhat closely, with 51% following very closely. Just two percent (2%) say they are not following at all.
The president has been meeting for weeks with his top national security advisers to review options for Afghanistan, including a request for more troops from General Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander there. In late September , 37% of Americans favored sending more troops, but 40% were opposed.
President Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 to root out radical Islamic terrorists responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Voter confidence in America's conduct of the War on Terror has fallen to its lowest level since the first week of January in 2007.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of voters oppose the Obama administration's decision to try the confessed chief planner of the 9/11 attacks and other suspected terrorists in a civilian court in New York City. Opposition is even higher among residents of New York State .
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To view the original report, please use this link: Winning By Indecision?