Gallup: Americans' Concerns About Iraq Surge

[Hissyspit]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003408914

Gallup: Americans' Concerns About Iraq Surge

By E&P Staff

Published: November 16, 2006 10:50 AM ET

NEW YORK Gallup polls in recent years have repeatedly shown that Americans consider the war in Iraq a top, if not the top, issue facing the country. But that concern seems to be skyrocketing now.

More than one in three Americans now name Iraq as the top problem --the highest level since the war began. Meanwhile, Americans' overall satisfaction with the state of the nation remains quite low, with only 31% of Americans saying they are satisfied, well below average.

The Nov. 9-12 poll found the war in Iraq at the top of the worry list, with 36% of Americans mentioning this as the nation's most important problem -- a surge of 8% since just October, and a new record high. Since the beginning of 2003, an average of 22% of Americans have said Iraq is the most important problem facing the country, once plunging as low as 5% in August 2003.

Further highlighting the war priority: No more than 10% of Americans mention any other issue as the most important problem facing the country in the latest survey. Following behind Iraq is the economy (10%), healthcare (9%), corruption in government and dissatisfaction with politicians (9%), immigration (8%), and terrorism (7%).

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[bemildred]

1. Yep, the dam is busted now. nt

[leftchick]

4. who could have predicted?

:(

[bemildred]

5. Aw, LC, a certain amount of herd behavior is always to be expected

of the American public. Now that we won the election, people feel more like it's safe to question the war. That's a good thing, even if it took too long. We did way better this time, in many respects, than thirty-five years ago.

[leftchick]

7. that is very true and I am glad for the sea change in opinion

Yet I am afraid a lot more people are going to die before the troops start an exit. Also there is the fact the US is responsible for so many dead and displaced Iraqis in 3 1/2 short years. I just read the US is sending 2,200 Marines to Al-Anbar for Fallujah II. We are a long way from the end of this nightmare.

I am a real downer today aren't I?

[bemildred]

9. Unfortunately, I think you are correct.

And I have no more heart for arguing fractions of evil.
So I will just go :-( with you.

[Amonester]

10. Like Vietnam 1...

Unfortunately, it took years and hundreds of thousands more unnecessary victims between the majority waking up and the last soldiers coming back home day.

History repeats (thanks, chimpy...). :sarcasm:

:cry:

[StrictlyRockers]

2. Tops every other issue by at least 26%! Woo hoo!

America awakens from her long nightmare.

[The Count]

3. But W's Snow job said it wasn't a majority

Helen Thomas: Also, why does he think this mandate from the voters doesn't mean to pull out?
Snow: Because I don't think that's a majority opinion.

[0rganism]

6. In this case, Snow's got a (rare) point

You have to remember, as Scott Ritter also pointed out, that the majority of Americans are NOT anti-war, but rather anti-losing. The media has been very successful in portraying any redeployment or force reduction by the US as an irresponsible and premature admission of defeat.

[Amonester]

8. That's because the corporate soldout media's owners also hold a

titanic lot of the military industrial complex's stocks.

They know how to count THEIR pockets: the rest of US be damned. :mad:

[happydreams]

11. 31% also still believe Saddam was behind 9/11.

Probably just a coincidence. :crazy:

[Hissyspit]

12. .