Poll: More Think The "Surge" Is Helping

(CBS)  With President Bush's top military and diplomatic advisers on Iraq due to deliver a major progress report on the president's "surge" strategy, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds that an increasing number of Americans believe the troop buildup in Iraq is having a positive impact.

U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus are expected to warn Congress on Monday that making any significant changes to the current war strategy will jeopardize the limited security and political progress made so far.

Later in the week, Mr. Bush plans a national address.

The poll finds 35 percent say the surge has made things better, up from 29 percent last month and 19 percent in July. Only 12 percent say it has made things worse, but nearly half see no change in either direction, according to the poll.

NOW: IMPACT OF U.S. TROOP SURGE

Made things better
35%
Made things worse
12%
No impact
45%

AUGUST, 2007: IMPACT OF U.S. TROOP SURGE

Made things better
29%
Made things worse
15%
No impact
46%

Belief that the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq has grown a bit since January. Still, that perception is well below the levels of early 2006, and most Americans continue to see the war as a stalemate.

NOW: WHO IS WINNING IN IRAQ?

The U.S.
24%
The insurgents
12%
Neither side
60%

JANUARY, 2006: WHO IS WINNING IN IRAQ?

The U.S.
36%
The insurgents
9%
Neither side
48%

On the political front, Americans overwhelmingly criticize the Iraqi government, the poll finds. Just 22 percent say the Iraqi government is meeting a relatively low bar - doing all it can realistically be expected do to bring about stability in Iraq. 70 percent say it is not meeting that standard.

On the military front, Americans' views of the impact of the "surge" strategy are divided by political affiliation. Fifty-six percent of Republicans think surge is making things better in Iraq, while only 19 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of Independents do.

When it comes to evaluating the Iraqi government, there is no partisan divide. Less than one in four Republicans say the Iraqi government is doing what it can.

The poll finds a long-term pessimism remains about the Iraqi government: a 53 percent majority thinks Iraq will never become a stable democracy. Almost no one thinks it will occur within a year or two.

WILL IRAQ EVER BECOME A STABLE DEMOCRACY?

Yes, in year or two
4%
Yes, but will take longer
42%
No, never
53%

The poll finds that, in retrospect, a majority of Americans view the war in Iraq as a mistake.

DID U.S. MAKE A MISTAKE GETTING INVOLVED IN IRAQ?

Yes
62%
No
34%

Eighty-six percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Independents say the war was a mistake, while 31 percent of Republicans agree, according to the poll.

The 62 percent figure is reminiscent of the numbers recorded in Gallup Polls in the early 1970's when respondents were asked whether the U.S. made a mistake getting involved in Vietnam. Sixty-one percent thought the Vietnam war was a mistake in May, 1971, and 60 percent thought American involvement in Vietnam was a mistake in January, 1973, according to Gallup polls.

[starleo146]

How did it come to be that we do not have the kind of media coverage for Iraq that we had for Viet Nam? What ever happened to sitting around the 6:00 news and seeing body bags and soldiers dying? That shouldn''''t have changed. So many people find it too easy to avoid thinking about war.

"mudrose" kind of reminds me of "*** blossom"
Posted by gretagreen at 03:59 PM : Sep 10, 2007

I think our government has a hand in that. Something on the order we will not show the caskets of fallen military you see? We do not see a count of killed wounded either rolling across the bottom of your screen. The better question is why are our media falling into this trap and denying us this information so the war will look good, Propaganda.You tell me?

[clestes-2009]

Could the American people finally be waking up? It appears so.

[grazinggoat]

CBS NEws: ''''A poll of about 2,000 ordinary Iraqis by the BBC, in conjunction with ABC News and Japan''''s NHK, found that 70 percent believe security in the area covered by the troop surge has deteriorated in the last six months.''''

-Tell PetAreUs, that Iraqis can better sense the security in Iraq then him, and his aides moving around in Apache Choppers and Armored Tanks, and probing.
-The real probers have done their jobs of decent journalism and are reporting to your lap-petty highness that security has deteriorated in the last six months. Ignorant, half-brained! You think that Fellow Americans will believe you?

-You too, will be held responsible of the embezzlement your boss has started with the illegal invasion of Iraq.

[nggr]

that was sarcasm by the way.

[nggr]

i think they are right, the surge is helping.
its helping more and more americans die everyday.
its been a big help

[lucasnico]

nanman.... I understand this, as do most normal people, wanting the troops to come home safe and quickly IS supporting them. Since I oppose war, this means you favor it?? Is your logic really that simple...that stupid? If so, God help you, because nobody else will.

[gretagreen]

How did it come to be that we do not have the kind of media coverage for Iraq that we had for Viet Nam? What ever happened to sitting around the 6:00 news and seeing body bags and soldiers dying? That shouldn''t have changed. So many people find it too easy to avoid thinking about war.

"mudrose" kind of reminds me of "*** blossom"

[marcodele]

Actually these polls indicate that a clear majority of americans believe the war to be a mistake and that the so called "surge" is either making things worse or having no impact at all.

These results also show that all the right wing neocon nutjobs that live on these boards all day long are the few crazies left in support of Bush and his seven years of failures.

[gretagreen]

If I had been polled, I would have said that the surge was helping in some ways. However, that does not change the fact that we need our soldiers to come home. We do not want them there any more. We need a plan to allow them to safely withdraw ASAP and we need to figure out a non-military way (unless it was to join with multi-national/multi-ethnic peacekeepers) to help the Iraqis whose country has been destroyed indirectly b/c of our actions.

I will not support any candidate or leader who votes to give any more money for the Iraq war. We have lost (wasted and actually lost) too much money over there already (spent almost one trillion). We need our money here along with our soldiers.

OUT OF IRAQ NOW (or as soon as possible)!!!

[citizenusa-2009]

If the "poll" is correct it only confirms that the American people as a whole are clueless and brainwashed. I personally do not believe the results of the survey. It''s impossible that in the space of two weeks, ANYONE is backing Baby Bush''s "surge". Nothing but BUSHIT.