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."
55% Oppose Limits On U.S. Nuclear Response To Attacks
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Fifty-five percent (55%) of U.S. voters oppose President Obama's new policy prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons in response to chemical or biological attacks on the United States.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 25% of voters agree with the president's decision to rule out a nuclear response if a non-nuclear country attacks America with chemical or biological weapons. Another 20% are undecided.
Only 31% favor a reduction in the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal. Fifty-three percent (53%) oppose any such reduction. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure.
The president signed a treaty today with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev pledging a near one-third reduction in the nuclear weapons arsenals of both countries. Just 31% of voters trust Russia to honor the new agreement.
Only 38% think it is even somewhat likely that other countries will reduce their nuclear weapons arsenals and development in response to the actions taken by the United States. That includes just seven percent (7%) who say it's very likely.
Fifty-four percent (54%) think reciprocal disarmament by other countries is unlikely, with 35% who say it's not very likely and 19% who view it as not at all likely.
The president told the New York Times in an interview earlier this week that his ban on nuclear responses would not include "outliers like Iran and North Korea" that do not honor the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Eighty-three percent (83%) of voters view the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal as at least somewhat important to U.S. national security, including 56% who regard it as very important. Only 14% say that arsenal is not very or not at all important to national security.
U.S. voters have mixed feelings about the president's further plan to halt America's development of new nuclear weapons. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has opposed this halt.
Thirty-four percent (34%) agree the United States should stop the development of new nuclear weapons. Forty-five percent (45%) disagree and do not believe America should halt development of these new weapons. Roughly one-out-of-five voters (21%) are not sure which course is best.
There are noticeable partisan differences on the questions. Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republicans and 53% of voters not affiliated with either major party, for example, oppose formally limiting when the United States will respond to an attack with nuclear weapons. Among Democrats, however, just 42% oppose such a prohibition, while 33% think it's a good idea.
Similarly, while 72% of GOP voters and 51% of unaffiliated oppose reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal, the plurality (45%) of Democrats favor such the move.
Republicans by a two-to-one margin over Democrats oppose a halt in the development of new nuclear weapons. Unaffiliated voters are more closely divided on the question.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the Political Class believe the United States should reduce the number of weapons in its nuclear arsenal. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Mainstream voters disagree.
But then 78% of the Political Class thinks it's at least somewhat likely that other nations will reduce their nuclear arsenals and development in response to U.S. disarmament. Sixty-five percent (65%) of Mainstream voters say that's not very or not at all likely.
Forty-three percent (43%) of voters currently rate the president's handling of national security as good or excellent, while 38% view his performance in this area as poor.
Belief that the United States is safer today than it was before 9/11 has hit its lowest level in over three years of tracking.