Poll: Americans Back Troop Surge, Oppose Withdrawal Date

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Polling

(CBS)

Last week President Obama outlined his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, which includes the deployment of 30,000 more troops and the beginning of a troop withdrawal in July 2011.

A new CBS News/New York Times poll finds that Americans narrowly approve of the president's decision to send more troops to the country, with 51 percent offering their approval. Forty-three percent disapprove.

There is a clear partisan divide on the issue, and it reflects the fact that Mr. Obama's decision to deploy more troops has garnered more support from the opposition party than from his own.

Two in three Republicans back the troop surge, while just 27 percent disapprove. By contrast, just 42 percent of Democrats approve of the decision to deploy more troops, while 53 percent disapprove.

Independents are roughly evenly divided.

The president did not set a specific date for full withdrawal of troops in his speech, but he said troops will start coming home in July of 2011. Asked if setting a deadline for troop withdrawal is a good idea, just 41 percent of those surveyed said yes. The majority – 55 percent – called it a bad idea.

On this issue, Mr. Obama has a more traditional constituency: Democrats support a timetable for troop withdrawal, while Republicans and independents do not.

Read the Complete Poll

While they oppose a timetable, a majority of Americans say they are not willing to have large numbers of troops in Afghanistan for more than two years. Just 26 percent support maintaining significant troop levels for "as long as it takes." Thirty-two percent want most troops out in less than a year, and another 25 percent want them out in less than two years.

Democrats in Congress have been debating how to pay for the war and the troop surge, with war bonds and a war tax among the ideas being discussed.

Just ten percent of those surveyed support a tax increase to pay for the war. A majority (53 percent) say it should be paid for through spending cuts, while 19 percent favor adding to the budget deficit.

Assessments of the war continue to be highly negative. Thirty percent say things are going well for the U.S. in Afghanistan, while 60 percent say they are going badly. That's a slight improvement in perception from last month, when just 23 percent said things were going well.

The uptick can be attributed to Republicans, 41 percent of whom now say things are going well.

Most Americans do not believe the United States can count on the Afghan government to work toward stabilizing its country, something the president called for in his speech. Just 26 percent expect the country's government to work to create stability, while 61 percent do not.

And they are divided on whether the U.S. can effectively root out terrorists in Afghanistan. While 48 percent say it is at least somewhat likely that the U.S. can stop terrorists in Afghanistan, 42 percent say it is "not at all" or generally not likely. Just 11 percent overall say it is "very likely."

The president's speech appears to have improved public perception of his handling of the war, and 48 percent now approve of him on the issue, a ten-point increase from last month. Check out this post for more from the poll on perceptions of Mr. Obama on Afghanistan and other issues.

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CBS News Poll Database

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,031 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone December 4-8, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from random digit dial samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by Empire-George December 10, 2009 10:15 AM EST: by veteran71 December 10, 2009 3:12 AM EST

Is there some reason, you conveniently always forget Joe Biden's 5 deferments ?? oh, right, it doesn't fit in your liberal hissy fit; Reply to this comment


by wyodutch December 10, 2009 9:04 AM EST: Wars are good... wars make us feel good... wars are good for big business.
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Look at VietNam. The pro-war cheerleaders had their panties in a knot, screaming like schoolgirls that "If we don't fight them in Asia... we'll be fighting them in Alabama"... and don't forget the famous "Domino Theory".
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Anyway... while the cheerleaders waved pom-poms at home, 58,000 decent Americans paid the ultimate price. Now... thirty years later, what was the result of out failure to have "victory" in VietNam?
..
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Well, Intel built a large manufacturing facility in Ho Chi Minh City and NIKE now brings more athletic shoes to American shores from VietNam than they do from red china.
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Yep, Wars are good... wars make us feel good... wars are good for big business.; Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt December 9, 2009 10:33 PM EST

This finding is not at all surprising as most appear to me (based on observed comments posted here, mainly) to have a depth of knowledge regarding the dynamics of Afghanistan based principally on sound bytes. Such being the case, as I submit anyway, they show their shallow grasp of the dynamics in their poll responses.

1. Gates has CLEARLY stated on several occassions that an evaluation will be made SIX MONTHS PRIOR to determine whether conditions justify proceeding with the timetable, or not.

2. Gates and Clinton both have been on the record several times with statements affirming that the US will not "abandon" Afghanistan.

McChrystal is on record describing weakened front-line Taleban operations which are occurring as a result of a shift in strategy made almost a year ago. Offers to desist and integrate are up. They are FINALLY feeling the squeeze...

Additional troop strength will offer an opportunity to accelerate and consolidate the process as should be done in warfare - get in, get it done, and get home.

That is, of course, assuming that your driver is to accomplish the task at minimum cost. Afgahistan, for 7 years, was directed at maximum benefit for contractors, not minimum cost to the US as a whole.

Too bad dubya never made enough weekend drills to learn what "effective strategy" means in military terms. He clearly utilized the business definition......

Reply to this comment


by chevyhotrod December 10, 2009 8:34 AM EST: "Too bad dubya never made enough weekend drills to learn what "effective strategy" means in military terms"

And President Obama has so much more military experience that President Bush. Now that's funny.

The Bush Family has a long and honorable history with the military. Please provide the history and experience that President Obama's immediate family has.


by payasyougo December 9, 2009 9:40 PM EST: "Poll: Americans Back Troop Surge, Oppose Withdrawal Date"
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Who cares what the poll of the people indicate.
Who cares what the president and his liberal backers want.

Just listen to the military leaders who must fight the war. That is all that matters.; Reply to this comment

by bubbadubba December 9, 2009 8:12 PM EST

Typical spoiled pathetic American idiots who want their cake and eat it too.
They don't want a deadline but don't want the troops there for more than two years.
Brainless idiots.
No wonder we elected GW Bush two times.

Reply to this comment


by novamba December 9, 2009 9:39 PM EST: Not only did we elect Bush twice, but we elected OBAMA!!! we like being lied to, and having incompetent people make decisions for us (i.e. congress, white house)


by melchg07 December 9, 2009 9:59 PM EST: "They don't want a deadline but don't want the troops there for more than two years.
Brainless idiots. "

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My thoughts exactly.


by steeepe December 9, 2009 7:48 PM EST: The sooner we get out of there, the better. We can't afford an endless war costing trillions of dollars that ultimately won't root out all terrorists, and it only takes a few to wreak havoc. Middle Eastern countries have been screwed up for generations and we're not going to fix that in 8 years or 16 years. Best we can do is improve security here at home, get good intelligence, and destroy whoever harms us in the future.; Reply to this comment

by lovenpeace1 December 9, 2009 7:25 PM EST

Folks,

Only 3.1% of Americans ever went to Military school and then served in the Military.

How reliable are Americans to determine what is a good or bad Military Surge?

For example: 88% of Americans approved the Invasion of Iraq 1 day AFTER Republican President GW Bush announced his decision to invade Iraq on National TV. We now know this American's approval was worst than a Blunder.

My point here is that they should polls all Americans whom have served or are serving in the U.S. Military. The rest careless about Sacrifices for our beloved nation.

Reply to this comment


by jimmyc1955 December 9, 2009 8:04 PM EST: A silly, pointless excercise of no meaning. This logic says that if you don't play music, or make movies, you have no real right to say if you like or don't like it. But the critics almost always misjudge which movies succeed.

American's understand a few simple facts. IF you fight - you fight to win. IF you fight to win you fight with all you have, not just part. An overwhelming advantage is safer for those with the numberical advantage than with an equal number - and we will suffer lower losses.

Most Americans also realize that it isn't Osama Bin Laden that matters but the Taliban and el Qudia and the more of them we destroy the better.
But no American wants to be a occupier or a colonial power but we simply want destroy the enemy, give our allies a chance and get out.


by lovenpeace1 December 9, 2009 7:20 PM EST: Folks,

Only 3.1% of American ever went to Military school and then served in the Military.

How reliable are Americans to determine what is a good or bad Military Surge?

For example: 88% of Americans approved the Invasion of Iraq 1 day AFTER Republican President GW Bush announced his decision to invade Iraq on National TV. We now know this American's approval was worst than a Blunder.; Reply to this comment