Poll: Iraq Going Badly And Getting Worse

Majority In CBS News Survey Doubt U.S. Can Win; 62% Call War 'A Mistake'

(CBS)  Americans believe the war in Iraq is going badly and getting worse, and think it's time for the U.S. either to change its strategy or start getting out, according to a CBS News poll.

Forty-three percent say the U.S. should keep fighting, but with new tactics, while 50 percent say the U.S. should begin to end its involvement altogether. Only 4 percent say the U.S. should keep fighting as it is doing now.

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Read the complete CBS News poll results.

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Just 21 percent approve of President Bush's handling of the war, the lowest number he's ever received, and an 8-point drop from just a month ago. Most of that drop has been among Republicans and conservatives. Three-quarters of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling Iraq.

BUSH'S JOB HANDLING IRAQ

Now
Approve
21%
Disapprove
75%

11/14/2006
Approve
29%
Disapprove
67%

Opposition to the war is now taking on historic proportions, with 62 percent saying it was "a mistake" to send U.S. troops to Iraq — slightly more than told a Gallup Poll in 1973 that it was a mistake to send U.S. forces to Vietnam.

Americans generally agree with the assessment of the Iraq Study Group, which called the situation in Iraq "grave and deteriorating." But fewer than half — 46 percent — think Mr. Bush will seriously consider the bipartisan panel's recommendations; 43 percent think he will not.

Seventy-one percent say the war is going badly, including 39 percent who believe the war is going very badly. Just 25 percent say it's going well. The negative assessment of the war was shared by a majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

Half of all Americans believe the situation in Iraq is getting worse, while fewer than one in 10 think it's getting better.

IS THE SITUATION IN IRAQ…?

Getting better
8%
Getting worse
52%
Staying the same
38%

Only 15 percent of Americans — the lowest number ever — say the U.S. is currently winning the war. And for the first time, a majority (53 percent) believes it's not likely that the U.S. will ultimately succeed.

Sixty percent think that Iraq will never become a stable democracy — the highest number ever — while 85 percent now characterize the situation there as a civil war.

WILL THE U.S. SUCCEED IN IRAQ?

Very likely
9%
Somewhat likely
34%
Not very/not at all likely
53%

Fifty-seven percent say Mr. Bush needs to make major changes in his Iraq policy, while 29 percent think only minor changes should be made. Just 8 percent think no changes in U.S. policy are needed.

By a 2-1 margin, Americans now say they have more confidence in congressional Democrats to handle the war than in the president.

Nearly six in 10 Americans want to see some kind of a drawdown in U.S. troop levels, including 25 percent who want all U.S. forces removed from Iraq.

Only 39 percent of Americans now say taking military action against Iraq was the right thing to do, tying the lowest number ever, while 55 percent say the U.S. should have stayed out. The country was evenly divided on this question as recently as a year ago.

For detailed information on how CBS News conducts public opinion surveys, click here.

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 922 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone Dec. 8-10, 2006. 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.

[arthurcl1]

More Bad News for GOP Bush because Ex CIA Operative Valerie Plame has sued Cheney, Libby, White House adviser Karl Rove and the former No. 2 official at the State Department, Richard Armitage. The federal lawsuit accuses the White House officials of violating Plame and Wilson's constitutional rights to equal protection and freedom of speech, and accuses Armitage of violating Plame's privacy rights for speaking out against the War in Iraq.

[verohnika]

G.W. Lenin is a Zionist crypto-Jew. He doesn;t care what we think, okay? Jews lie, Gentiles die.

http://www.hitlerschristianity.org/index_files/the_1945_hitler_bormann_tabletalks_reflections.html

[mexicodoug]

The attack & occupation of Iraq was not a stupid mistake, it was and is a WAR CRIME. Those responsible must be held accountable. We, the American people, have been lied to and betrayed. Now it's OUR responsibility to force the crooks in both the Demo and Repub parties to answer for their crimes.

[rijry]

If Bush did get impeached, then we would be stuck with Cheney as president, going from ignorance to a real war mongerer and even more of a police state.

[frankly6]

If this is a Civil War, is there really anything militarily that we can do to improve the situation in Iraq?

[joeshields56]

Honestly ask yourself -- If the U.S. was occupied by a foreign power that had killed many of our fellow citizens, friends and family members even, during the invasion. No matter how benevelent they seemed to be now, would you be interested in seeing your country rebuilt with this foreign military in control? Would you be fully cooperative with that foreign power? Would you wish that foreign power success and happiness?

I know not what answers others might give to the the above questions, but as for me... NO,NO,NO!

I would be out shooting them each night and sabotaging their efforts -- ready to die even. All the while saying, "We will rebuild our own country, thank you, just get the hell out!"

Jack Murtha is right. There is not one good thing we can accomplish by keeping our military in Iraq one more day. They don't want us there. We can't do them any good even if they do want us there. They have to do it themselves. With us gone, they will have more incentive to do it.

[tibu987]

Bush "Things are bad in Iraq".

DUH!

'Nuff said.

[valendug]

bushrocks: republicons say that masturbation causes insanity. You are definite proof of that.

[valendug]

bushbot: it's wasted time trying to impeach dead meat. it's more of a trend to make fun of the Resident.

[grazinggoat]

IT'S TIME TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT (bis)
WILL THE U.S. SUCCEED IN IRAQ?

Very likely
9%
Somewhat likely
34%
Not very/not at all likely
53%

9+34=43% of Americans still beleive that success in Iraq is still possible. Strange enought but this looks like a natural division of the votes in an election. Repubislicans getting their natural shares of the vote. Nonetheless this probing shows a clear cut disapproval toward the debacle that is going on in Iraq and that'll get worse if nothing is done.

With Walking-LiarBush and his henchmen still in command, it'll look even worse, because any action he may undertake will be looked at skepically by Americans and International Community, not to mention the skepticism and lack of confidence that is expressed in this poll on the way Walking-liar is handling the Job and the Situation in Iraq. Constitutionally speaking Walking-Liar is still the commander in chief of the Armies. It's a delicate situation, because he looks more as dictator in command than a decent President in Command.

The best way to exit this stituation is to Impeach him, and for once the will of the American People will be expressed through its elected representatives in the Congress. (Thanks Mr Young for oyur support).

[drinuk]

And by the way little Miss BushCock you're not winding me up, I'm 5000 miles away, you are simply making America look silly. Thank goodness 75% of America thinks different to you and I may add behaves in a more sane and rational manner. We have a saying in England, You cannot insult a ****, there too thick to understand the insult.
Thats You !!!

[drinuk]

Keep going BushCock you are not doing your cause any good at all, making your saviour George look as nutty as you are. Pathetic ***

[drinuk]

TVcat,
The Bush camp should also look at BushRocks1 He/She is doing them a great job, doubt if they would be too pleased however, whilst it fits the image of Cretins Untited it does without a doubt confirm what 75% of Americans already know. They are "Tossers"

[samthetvcat]

I think the Miss America organization ought to file suit to obtain an injunction against missAmerica's use of their good name on the basis of trademark infringement - I doubt they'd want to be associated with such hostility and name-calling . . .

[drinuk]

Dont you think it rather funny folks. All those on here supporting the Bush line, are actually imbeciles.....Birds of a Feather Eh!

[frankly6]

missAmerica is definitely bushRocks.

[tibu987]

I believe what has happened is those ignoramuses in Washington got themselves into a quagmire that they do not know how to get out of and save face.
So many have died, American and Iraqi, for the ignorance of the megalomaniacs in their ivory towers in Washington.
That history will judge them for the immensely stupid decisions they have made matters little. What does matter is how many deaths they have caused and left a country in ruin. And how many more must die. Also, the 400 billion dollars they have spent means nothing to them.
There are no winners in this horrific tragedy.
Enough. Out now.

[bushrocks1]

Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to World War II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. To a hypothetical, I can answer, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country that can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front. Now those traitors have occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq; the President hasn%u2019t been impeached. Why?...I'm waiting.

[frankly6]

missAmerica4

You'd best keep to the shallow end of the pool. You always get in trouble when you wade out into the deep without adult supervision.

[drinuk]

MissAmerica,
You're not bright enough to stir custard