CBS News Poll: Americans More Upbeat On Iraq But Most Still Say U.S. Should Have Stayed Out
A new CBS News/New York Times will be out at 6:30 this evening but we have an early look at some of the numbers.
The poll shows that while Americans have been pessimistic about the direction of the country in general and the state of the economy in particular, they are increasingly positive about the way things are going in Iraq.
Just seven percent say the war in Iraq is going very well but 45 percent now say it is going at least somewhat well. This marks the most positive assessment of the war since January, 2006, and a 10 point upswing since just last month. But 51 percent say the war is going at least somewhat badly. In June, just 35 percent said the war was going somewhat well while 62 percent said it was going badly.
Still, 59 percent of Americans say that the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq altogether, a number slightly up from April when 57 percent said so. Thirty six percent say that the U.S. did the right thing by going to war with Iraq.
Barack Obama’s campaign has been trying to paint a possible John McCain presidency as a third Bush term and that message may be resonating with some voters, particularly on Iraq. Most (78 percent) think McCain will continue President Bush’s policies in Iraq. Just 17 percent say McCain will not continue those policies.
For more on the CBS News/New York Times poll, tune in to the CBS Evening News tonight and see the full results at CBSNews.com at 6:30.
The poll shows that while Americans have been pessimistic about the direction of the country in general and the state of the economy in particular, they are increasingly positive about the way things are going in Iraq.
Just seven percent say the war in Iraq is going very well but 45 percent now say it is going at least somewhat well. This marks the most positive assessment of the war since January, 2006, and a 10 point upswing since just last month. But 51 percent say the war is going at least somewhat badly. In June, just 35 percent said the war was going somewhat well while 62 percent said it was going badly.
Still, 59 percent of Americans say that the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq altogether, a number slightly up from April when 57 percent said so. Thirty six percent say that the U.S. did the right thing by going to war with Iraq.
Barack Obama’s campaign has been trying to paint a possible John McCain presidency as a third Bush term and that message may be resonating with some voters, particularly on Iraq. Most (78 percent) think McCain will continue President Bush’s policies in Iraq. Just 17 percent say McCain will not continue those policies.
For more on the CBS News/New York Times poll, tune in to the CBS Evening News tonight and see the full results at CBSNews.com at 6:30.
Let me get this straight, when 7 percent say the war in Iraq is going very well and 45 percent say it is going at somewhat well...that means that America is winning the war on terror?
So if things are getting better in Iraq, we''re winning the war on terror. Then what does it mean if things are getting worse in Afghanistan? Would that therefore mean we''re losing the war on terror? Do the two cancel each other out?
I''m just puzzled as to how you define winning, that''s all.
Which war was it again that McCain has won?
No matter, he is planning to start other wars as soon as he gets the power, so he will still get a chance to show us.
Posted by johnmcsame
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You''ll have to wait for another 3 flip flops from McCain, first. Right now, they are running about 3 to 1.
Someone needs to tell both John McCain and George Bush%u2026.forget about telling anything to Bush%u2026
If Bush thinks he%u2019s winning his war on terror, why hasn%u2019t he apprehended, or alleviated Osama Bin Laden?
Because: the only reason the US was lied into invading Saddam Hussein%u2019s Iraq was to embezzle Federal Treasury Funds and divert to the Private Sector, and secure long term Oil Production Contracts (or, Legislation enacted by the new puppet government, which they refused to do).
It%u2019s been one giant scam by the Republicans.
and their still scamming "anwar-anwar"...
That''s one thing about the far-left liberal conspiracy theorists - they constantly have to change their theories based upon being proven wrong by the facts on the ground.
Now Ray has a no-bid contract to exploit oil from Northern Iraq. He''s not even doing it through the Iraqi government, which Bush wants companies to do, he''s gone around them through the Kurds for higher profits. The gov''t will let him do it cuz he''s a Bush man.
Bush says the high cost of oil is a matter of ordinary Americans ''putting food on the table''. The truth? Its about texas billionaires being granted special advisory roles to get him to invade Iraq and then reaping massive profits from his doing so, while other Americans try on their new arms and legs.
I''ll believe we''ve won the war when we''re done paying for it. Till then, only Ray Hunt won the war.
Ahem.
Yeah, right, he really cares..lol. All he cares about is getting elected, but you know what? This is all going to backfire on you. Americans don''t trust your empty rhetoric any more.
Generally, Americans are idiots.
IF YOU LIKE BEING IN IRAQ OR THE MIDDLE EAST GO SERVE YOURSELF!
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MIDDLE EAST AMERICA NEEDS OR IS THERE ANY THREAT TO AMERICA THERE!
THE ONLY REASON IT STAYS IN THE NEWS IS BECAUSE THE AMERICAN MEDIA IS RUN BY AIPAC MEMBERS!
So when did you do your stint in Iraq? If Obama is unqualified because he hasn''t been to Iraq, I assume you measure yourself by the same standard. I''m supposed to accept your assessment without any mention of your bona fides?
Just in case you haven''t read any of the recent information that might conflict with your world-view, former Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan, hardly an Obama apologist, stated that the reason for the Iraq war was not about Saddam Hussein or terror, it was about oil. Greenspan was the ultimate Washington insider and part of the Bush Administration inner cicle. You need to stop channeling right-wing talk radio and look objectively at the facts. The Iraq war has NOT, by even the Bush Administration''s intelligence assessments, reduced the threat of terrorism for Americans...it has increased it. An administration that wages an assault on our Constitutional freedoms is a lot more of a threat to us than Iraq ever was.
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by mattcat25
July 16, 2008 10:39 AM PDT
- Iraq is%u2026.OVER!
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Reply to this comment
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See all 27 CommentsThere were no weapons of mass destruction, or delivery systems.
Iraq had absolutely no air force and a depleted army.
Saddam Hussein was under UN sanctions.
George Bush and Richard Cheney had the aspiration to invade Saddam%u2019s Oil Fields at their inauguration in January 2001. $Billions and $Billions of US Federal Treasury Funds have been wasted away on this immoral and insidious crusade for control and profits.
Meanwhile, Osama Bin Laden has been allowed to continue his operations and fragmenting of the US economy. Islamic Terrorism is and always has been centered in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Bush Administration has not alleviated the security threat, but has permitted its flourish.
The Nouri Al-Maliki Government has called for the scheduled withdrawal of US Military Troops from Iraq, Oil contracts have been executed between the New Iraqi Government and 5 Multinational Oil Corporations.
It%u2019s done, and time to leave.