Iraq Fades From View For Many Americans

Poll Shows Only 28 Percent Know That Nearly 4,000 U.S. Troops Have Been Killed

(AP)  Fewer people know how many U.S. troops have died in the war in Iraq, even as public attention to the conflict has gradually diminished, a poll showed Wednesday.

Only 28 percent correctly said that about 4,000 Americans have died in the war, according to a survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.

That's down from last August, when 54 percent gave the accurate casualty figure, which was about 3,500 dead at the time. In previous Pew surveys dating to 2004, about half have correctly given the rough figure for the approximate number of deaths at the time.

In the new poll, around a third said about 3,000 U.S. troops have died while about one in 10 said 2,000 deaths. Fewer overestimated the number of casualties: about a quarter put the figure close to 5,000.

Exit polls of voters in presidential primaries and many national surveys have shown the economy has displaced the war in recent weeks as the public's choice as the nation's top problem.

Iraq was the most avidly followed news story for most of the first half of 2007, but it has not been the most closely watched story in any week since mid-October, according to a Pew survey of people's interest in the news. The portion of news stories on the war has dropped in recent months as well, according to a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, a nonpartisan group that evaluates news coverage.

The Pew poll was conducted from Feb. 28-March 2 and involved telephone interviews with 1,003 adults. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

[omega39-2009]

They can probably rattle off the last 8 American Idol winners though. Truly sad...........

[omega39-2009]

A free society is emerging in Iraq. The Liberal "if it bleeds, it leads" media just doesn''''t want you to know it.
Posted by ddhinnyc

So why then isn''t the right''s beloved faux newz covering all the supposed "good things" that are happening there?

In the first quarter, one of the most commented on findings was that the cable news networks had not covered Iraq in equal degrees. Fox News spent a much smaller percentage of time on the war than did its two cable rivals (15% of the newshole versus 25% on CNN and 31% on MSNBC).

In the second quarter the gap remained and in some cases even widened, if looked at overall. Fox news devoted roughly half as much airtime as the other cable channels to the war. Total war coverage accounted for 8% of the Fox newshole, versus 18% for CNN and 15% for MSNBC.

[antoniof123]

Posted by ddhinnyc at 09:27 AM : Mar 13, 2008

I hate to say this but you can''t spin it anymore. You see when the Republicans decided that they would decide for the majority of America they doomed themselves.

Once again the far right reactionaries missed the real point you have awaken the hard center and now their minds are already made up.

[harp1963]

It''s pathetic. People in the area I live, which is Bush country, act as if it''s not even an issue. They will rip your eyes out though if you don''t support the local college football team.

We are a pathetic nation. Afraid to be civilly disobedient because the federal government makes law abiding Americans feel they will follow you around like the Nazi''s did the Jewish sympathizers(Patriot Act).

"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write."

John Adams 1765

Somehow I don''t think John Adams would have been in favor of the current version of the "Patriot Act."

Our current "patriots" living back then in 1776 would have had five deferments from the Reveloutionary War and would have gotten "The Militia Veterans Against Adams" to create a smear campaign against John that would have made him look like a British spy.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtml

[lochlan-2009]

Another gag order, this time on the media again, as the psychological warfare on Americans by the Bush Regime continues. A lot like the gag order, a few years ago, preventing media from showing pictures of dead soldiers caskets from the war. That ban is still in effect.

I sure hope the rest of you Americans can see how free our country has become.

[ioweign]

Iraq fades from view of LIBERAL REPORTERS AND MEDIA BECAUSE THEY DON''''''''T WANT REAL AMERICANS TO KNOW HOW WELL IRAQ IS PROGRESSING. Posted by ddhinnyc

Do tell - please enlighten us on the progress in Iraq. Facts please - no jingoistic flag-waving, just facts. And please name your sources - FOX Noise doesn''''t count.

Posted by nokoolaid at 09:39 AM : Mar 13, 2008

FOX Noise shouldn''t count - It is not a News source - it is just another cable sitcom program...

[rudy654-2009]

I am not at all surprised by this. Surely these are the same people who come on here and tell us that gas prices aren''t high, there is no unemployment, and a little water on the forehead aint torture.

[oscarez]

What do you guys think is going to happen in Iraq if John (stay for 100 years) McCain is elected president? I think the people of Iraq are waiting for the next president of the USA to GET US OUT of Iraq.

[notblue]

There is undeniable progress in iraq as reported even by CBS. The Iraqis themselves have asked the U.S. to stay until they can take complete control of their own security. To say FOX is non-news and CBS is unbiased is the acme of stupidity, while both organizations show bias it is up to us to disseminate the crapp from the truth. If one was to admit there is tangible progress in Iraq then some that frequent these posts would not be able to scream defeat day in and day out. Even lose at all costs Harry Ried is silent now! It''s time to choose sides people, the only reason McCain has a chance in 08 is because Obam is not willing to fight the militants and McCain is, there is a silent majority in this country that do not want to declare defeat.

[dogband]

Well by God I know whats happening there, nearing the 4000 mark.

All citizens should use this upcoming pathetic milestone to march in the streets.

America forgetting this war is the best thing that could happen to the BUSH administration and republicans.

We should all be ashamed.

Our young people dying everyday should lead all news service reports EVERY DAY.

Our Brave New World has arrived: WAR IS PEACE.

God help us.

[omega39-2009]

Posted by notblue

Fox news coverage of the Iraq war is half of what CNN and MSNBC are doing.
Fox news has consistently shown itself to be a voice for President Bush and his policies.
If the good things alleged to be happening in Iraq were true, Fox news would have double the coverage of the other news outlets, not half.

[expatriate07]

Iraq isn''t fading from American''s view. People are mislead and otherwise distracted. Brittany Spears was getting more press coverage than the war did for some time. The whole media entity in this country is no more than a government sponsored propaganda soap box if you ask me.

[mrmazerati]

There is no defeat to declare. Because there is no opposing army. This is a massive referee job between opposing factions in a foreign country. I''m sick of a few Arabs with inferior ordnance holding the greatest nation in the world hostage. All they have to do is stick "Al Qaeda" on the note and stand back and watch the Americans panic. I for one won''t be fooled anymore. This whole thing is dumb. If there''s a war, give me a real army to fight. Not these nut jobs hiding out in the desert.

[omega39-2009]

If there''''s a war, give me a real army to fight. Not these nut jobs hiding out in the desert.

Posted by mrmazerati

Guerrilla warfare against a better equipped and usually numerically superior force is as old as war itself is. The planners of this war ignored history and the advice of their own military leaders.

[omega39-2009]

But FoxNews has double the viewers than CNN or MSNBC. Explain that, please.

Posted by ddhinnyc

ROFL!! Kind of explains "the slipping from memory", eh?

[bogusbones]

great. the single biggest cause for death, economic hardship, and division in the u.s. and they sweep it under the rug. you have to hand it to this administration. maybe we should rename to bush/cheney marketing inc. when they need the "terror" card they trump the war up. now it''s the economy. hello america. the reason for the bad economy is the war. these bufoons will walk out on Jan. 20 2009 and walk into palatial homes and lives we can''t even imagine and we - the taxpayers and voters will live with their narrow minded and devastating policy decisions.

[mrmazerati]

But FoxNews has double the viewers than CNN or MSNBC. Explain that, please.

Posted by ddhinnyc

You are using data to draw the wrong conclusion. Here''s why: If you are pro-Bush, you tend to watch Fox. If you are anti-Bush, you watch other channels. The anti-Bush people are spread between networks, not concentrated in one channel like the Fox/Bush people. So if you add up the non-Fox viewers, they outweigh Fox by over 5 to 1. Fox is actually in the vast minority in their position on the war.

[joyous88]

fade? that might be because this is not a real war;

it is just an immoral and illegal occupation of Iraq;

how do we win an occupation?

mission accomplished

[joyous88]

omega39 is exactly spot on;

these people wioll defend their lands with what they have , which happens to be suicide attacks, it is their only weapon

[taotxzen]

The $3 Trillion War in Iraq
Only two winners have emerged from the conflict: oil companies and defence contractors

by Joseph Stiglitz
With March 20 marking the fifth anniversary of the United States-led invasion of Iraq, it%u2019s time to take stock of what has happened.

In our new book The Three Trillion Dollar War, Harvard%u2019s Linda Bilmes and I conservatively estimate the economic cost of the war to the U.S. to be $3 trillion, and the costs to the rest of the world to be another $3 trillion - far higher than the Bush administration%u2019s estimates before the war.

The Bush team not only misled the world about the war%u2019s possible costs, but has also sought to obscure the costs as the war has gone on.

This is not surprising. After all, the Bush administration lied about everything else, from Saddam Hussein%u2019s weapons of mass destruction to his supposed link with Al Qaeda. Indeed, only after the U.S.-led invasion did Iraq become a breeding ground for terrorists.

The Bush administration said the war would cost $50 billion. The U.S. now spends that amount in Iraq every three months.

Published on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 by The Toronto Star

[oleander8]

I don''t think the war issue has faded - Americans can only give so much outrage to so many issues. It''s tough to fight the war in Iraq when you are fighting to keep your job and put food on the table.

[joyous88]

fox news is the propaganda arm of the republiCON Facist party

[joyous88]

hey dummy!

Bush is on the ballot in the form of mccain

let''s all call him McBush

[joyous88]

four more of the same vote McCain

McBush is is four more of the same

for real progress vote democrat across the board
we need the senate to make changes
oust the republiCON senators

[joyous88]

McBush , just another RepubliCON criminal

[wardoglrs]

Its not the republicans or the democrates that got this country in the mess it''s in Its YOU yea YOU the ***-ing idiot that cant see the right guy for the job.
This country started all the wars we are nothing less than a war nation of death and destruction to the world. Now look at America she is falling cause of you and your vote. Now if you cant see why Ron Paul is the best choice then you voted for the wrong guy again. Vote Ron Paul tear down the fed reserve and the goverment departments bring the troop''s home from around the globe and throw out the eveil in the white House. Return to the constitution before we fall flat on our face

[skyk-2009]

You called McCain a "maverick" until he announced his run for the presidency.

Let your Bush derangement syndrome go, honey! You''''ll stop being bitter all the time!


Posted by ddhinnyc at 11:43 AM : Mar 13, 2008
+ report abuse

Hey he can CLAIM to be a Maverick until the end of time. I saw how Maverick he was out there in front with Bush or snuggling up to that Minister. Look we need to change things in this nation. ANYONE with a brain can see the present course IS NOT working!! 7 years and a Trillion dollars later here we are.... NOWHERE!!

[roger_inkart]

Attention Bush-Apologist morons:

Your president ran the nation straight into the ground. You can still kiss his a$$ and call it candy, but the rest of us have a little more respect for ourselves and our nation.

[andrew_693]

nobody cares about iraq because it''s not happening here. Not even the soldiers know where iraq is in a map I remember asking one of them and he couldn''t name the city where he worked because he couldn''t remember even though he came back a week ago.

[jahpdq]

Of course there''s no news from Iraq. That''s because most of it''s good news. We''re clearly in the "aftermath" stage of this conflict right now, so the news media simply won''t cover it. In fact, there''s been a direct correlation shown between the drop in violence and death and the drop in news coverage.

The gloating of so-called "anti-war" lefties who can''t figure out that Iraq achieved not only the ouster of Saddam but the embarassment of al Qaeda in Iraq makes me sick. Nothing new here. British leftists accused arch-appeaser Neville Chamberlain of being a "warmonger" for taking even the wimpiest of actions againt Hitler. Any attempt by American conservatives to fight terrorism has met with the same hooting and howling. Liberals are great at this. They can always claim they''re "for the people" no matter how disastrous the results of their stupidity.

Suicide bombings continue to happen every day in Pakistan and other Muslim countries. Does that mean the governments of all of those countries have "failed" because they can''t prevent a miniscule number of people from running suicide bombings to terrorize the population?

[armydog2]

Wake up America, the lack of interest or should I say horror is what keeps this war going. mccain is a bush wannabe and will stay the course that bush has set out for our country.
It is way past time for us as American citizens to remind the pres. and the congress just who it is they work for.if death and destruction and bankrupting our country is what you want then sit back and watch our country die. If you want change and a new direction that will save our Country get active and speak out loud and clear!Hound these politicians until they cave in and listen to "We The People"

[hillaryin08]

Thats right libs, McCain will run on a stay in Iraq and finish the job platform and get elected on it.

The suicide rate among liberals will skyrocket.

[excoachken]

It is called DENIAL. It seems to work for everybody, except those who''s children and grandchildren are being killed or permanently scarred by it.

[hillaryin08]

"Here''''s a fact for you - there are now 4,000 less Americans who will enjoy the sunrise or the embrace of a loved one all for the cause of an unjustified, no link to 9/11 war of aggression started by Bush."
Posted by nokoolaid


Well said!


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Posted by jh6379 at 10:29 AM : Mar 13, 2008

Here is a fact for you, there are 40,000 enemy jihadist that died for what they beleived in on a battlefield called Iraq. They will never see the sunrise either or the shores of the United States so %uck &ou Socialist Pig.

[mrmazerati]

Iraq is toast. Done. Dead man walking. Nobody likes it, not even McCain (no matter what he says). It''s Bush''s war, and will fade away with Bush. That''s the reality.

[hillaryin08]

Iraq is toast. Done. Dead man walking. Nobody likes it, not even McCain (no matter what he says). It''''s Bush''''s war, and will fade away with Bush. That''''s the reality.


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Posted by mrmazerati at 12:35 PM : Mar 13, 2008

You hope. The truth is you put all of your chips into an Iraq defeat. Now its going to come back to haunt you and your Socialist Pig friends. We are not leaving Iraq for a long long time lib. As a matter of fact, their is a better chance that you will impeach Bush and Cheny (as your lib congress promised you)then the US leaving Iraq.

[mrmazerati]

Sorry, but history doesn''t bear you out. This thing is headed for the big fizzle. It''s winding on down already.

[armydog2]

don''t count on it hillary

[mrmazerati]

Guys, I appreciate all the sprit de corps, but the fact is, these conflicts almost always go out with a sigh, not a bang. A drawdown is inevitable- you can''t keep shoving 12 billion a month into something infinitely. It just doesn''t work. And if you want a victory, well, then why not just call it a victory when it''s over? Works just the same as calling it anything else and everybody''s happy.

[blackwater66-2009]

We are still here for all of you ????

[mrmazerati]

I would like to declare that we are now VICTORIOUS in Iraq. Saddam: dead. WMD: nonexistent. Elections: check.

We did it, folks, and we can all be proud! Thanks for all your hard work and we''ll see you at the party!

[joecoolswat]

For all the know-nothing, bush-hating, stupid-liberals, Sorry, but the war is now won in Iraq. Democrats lost in their effort to undermine the war. We now have excellent bases in Iraq to launch future attacks against any other regime who doesn''t listen.

[joecoolswat]

He Veteran 71, you have got to be kidding me. The reason the supreme court had to step in, is because Al Gore would not concede defeat and kept going on and on, recounting until it turned out in his favor. EXCUSE US for defending our country. There will be hell to pay for anyone who messes with the USA. (as long as we continue have a ***-kicking Republican as president)

[mrmazerati]

Yes!! The war is now won in Iraq. Thank you all for playing. We''ll see you at the next war.

[ljb6599]

JoeCoolSwat...If the Irag War is won why are there still 140,000 soldiers still there and some are still getting killed??

[joecoolswat]

We will be there for a long time, we have bases there to launch other attacks on other nations and kill any terrorists that mess with us. Only a stupid-liberal would think that just be cause a war is won, all the troops go home. not the case. For example, South Korea, Berlin Germany, Japan, etc. We need a few hundred thousand to mop up and keep the peice, of Iraq.

[sigotratando]

I had mentioned this article to a friend of mine who thought maybe this was "fatigue", like when there is a sudden effort for donations, we get "giving fatigue" or something.

I''m not sure that''s entirely the case. I''m thinking more along the lines of "status quo" where apathy manifests as lack of interest.

[mrmazerati]

The troops are leaving. End of story. They are being voted back home in November. Deal with it.

[keithle1]

Everybody is sick of it. Numb. But you can''t avoid it. Unless you live in a treehouse in the Alaskan woods. Every day, we get the bad news on the Web, papers, TV, radio, etc. The endless drum beat of misery. Once in a rare while, something good happens.

We have won the war in Iraq? Really? Oh wow. Hmm... I would never have guessed if you didn''t tell me.

[rowdytexan2]

We will be there for a long time, we have bases there to launch other attacks on other nations and kill any terrorists that mess with us. Only a stupid-liberal would think that just be cause a war is won, all the troops go home. not the case. For example, South Korea, Berlin Germany, Japan, etc. We need a few hundred thousand to mop up and keep the peice, of Iraq.


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Posted by JoeCoolSwat at 01:34 PM : Mar 13, 2008

Who the hell needs bases with which to launch other wars? There are no mop up operations. As soon as we get out of Iraq and stop trying to steal their resources, there''ll not need to be any terrorism in Iraq.