Poll: Americans split on Iran military action

Poll: Americans split on Iran military action
By Susan Page - USA TODAY
Posted : Monday Nov 5, 2007 21:28:34 EST

WASHINGTON — Americans are concerned about Iran’s nuclear program but split on whether military action should be undertaken if diplomacy and economic sanctions fail to stop it, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

The findings underscore public concern about an Iranian threat and a partisan divide over how to respond. Iran has emerged as a key issue in the presidential race, especially among Democrats.

While 46 percent of those surveyed say military action should be taken either now or if diplomacy fails, 45 percent rule it out in any case. Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to endorse taking military steps.

“If you had more follow-on questions — on what if the military action was unilateral, (for instance) — then support would tend to diminish,” says Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. “But it does indicate that approximately half of Americans are concerned enough that they would at least seriously consider it, and that’s worth noting.”

Tough talk from President Bush and Vice President Cheney about Iran’s nuclear program seems to have generated concern about a potential threat and alarm about the prospect for premature U.S. military action.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/gns_iranpoll_071105/

Almost half the US population is insane. Just goes to show how vulnerable people are to propaganda and peer pressure. I suspect many people see war as a way to preserve the American way of life. As their economic well being deteriorates and the US dollar drips away, they perceive the threat and believe what they're told. USA, USA, USA, usa.

You'd think at this point the LAST thing people would want was another
war. WTF is wrong with our country?

:puke:

Republican views. They do this on the false presumption that Republicans vote in greater numbers than Democrats, but this presumption is now based on the vote tabulations of the rightwing Bushite corporatations who control the voting machines with 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code, and virtually no audit/recount controls. Also, in 2004, the grass roots Democratic activists blew the Republicans away in new voter registration, nearly 60/40. So, WHO should be presumed to have "weightier" views? That's one question to ask.

And the article itself points out a great flaw in this poll.

“'If you had more follow-on questions — on what if the military action was unilateral, (for instance) — then support would tend to diminish,' says Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland."

Diminish, indeed. My guestimate (based on a lot of poll reading over the last several years): It would add 10 pts to the anti-war side of the poll. And, if you throw in Gallup's normal outlier position--about 5 pts. off--you now have 60% opposed to war on Iran.

I'd guess that was the truth of the matter. It's not nearly so alarming, but it isn't great either. It means that we're not much better off than just before the Iraq War, when 56% of the American people opposed the invasion of Iraq. About half of that 56% opposed it outright; the other half would only support it if it were a UN peacekeeping mission (that is, consensus of the international community--no unilateral war). If my guestimate about this Gallup poll is correct, this means that only about 4% of the people have wised up since February 2003.

Another question that should be asked, in conjunction with the one asked about Iran, is: Do you trust George Bush to be commander in chief for such an attack? I think war on Iran would lose another 10% to 15% on that issue, bringing it down to Bush's current approval rating--about 25%.

And if they had asked about the cost ("The Iraq War has cost a trillion dollars, indebting your children and grandchildren for all of their lives. Would you be in favor of George Bush starting another war, with a far better defended country?"), war on Iran might even lose some die-hard Bushite crusaders whose "conservative" views include fiscal responsibility.

It's safe to say that Gallup wants more war, just as Bush and Cheney do. And there are many, many ways they can fiddle a poll to make it seem like this is an acceptable policy to the American people. They are untrustworthy. I wouldn't give this poll much worry time.

I think that of far more concern is the powerlessness of the American people in the face of an other Bushite Congress, this one with a "D" in front of its name. Our powerlessness in 2004, and again in 2006. In both cases, change was blockaded by several means, but the 'coup de grace'--the new thing, the mind-boggling thing, and the thing that literally makes change for the better totally impossible--was 'TRADE SECRET' vote 'counting.' That WAS the fascist coup.

I'm not worried about the people. Really, I think they'll figure it out. What really worries me is our disenfranchisement--so that, now, with a whopping 70% against the Iraq War and wanting it ended--an epochal anti-war majority--the war just goes on and on. I think we need to get very practical and strategic in our thinking. Where is our power? It mostly resides in our votes. Who is counting our votes, and how?