CBS Poll: 50% Of Americans Say We Will Succeed In Iraq

by John Hawkins | February 13, 2007 10:47 am

CBS News has out a fascinating poll on the war[1]. I say “fascinating” because although it’s split on a lot of questions and shows that Americans are generally pessimistic about the war, it also definitively shows that Americans DO NOT want to cut and run in Iraq.

Yet according to Newsbusters[2], here’s how Katie Couric spun the poll numbers:

“Tomorrow the House will begin a three-day debate on a non-binding, symbolic resolution stating its disapproval of President Bush’s Iraq troop build up. But our new CBS News poll shows a majority of Americans wants Congress to go even further. A total of 53 percent say Congress ought to block funding for additional troops or for the war entirely.”

Talk about twisting the facts and burying the lede!

First of all, CBS actually polled on the non-binding surge resolution and Americans are split, but, by a hair, oppose the non-binding surge resolution:

NON-BINDING RESOLUTION AGAINST SENDING MORE TROOPS TO IRAQ
——————————–All——Dems—Reps–Inds
Congress should pass: —–44%—-57%—-26%—47%
Congress should not pass: 45%—-29%—-65%—43%

Secondly, if you look at the numbers in this poll, it’s crystal clear that Americans oppose cutting off the funds for the troops and/or cutting and running in Iraq.

WHAT SHOULD CONGRESS DO ABOUT FUNDING FOR WAR?
Block all funding: 8%
Block funding for more troops: 45%
Allow all funding; 42%

U.S. TROOP LEVELS IN IRAQ SHOULD:
28% say remove all troops.

The nation remains divided over the long-term prospects for U.S. success in Iraq. 50% are positive, saying the U.S. is likely to succeed in the end. 47% think success is unlikely.

Only 8% of Americans want to block all funding for the troops in Iraq and only 28% want to bring all the troops home. Moreover, 50% of Americans think we’re going to win in the end. Although it would certainly be great if those numbers were better, it’s crystal clear that the American people don’t support the liberal “wave the white flag to Al-Qaeda plan” in Iraq that Dems like John Murtha, Barack Obama, John Kerry are promoting. That would seem to be a much bigger story than the surge numbers, which it sounds like Couric bungled anyway.

Endnotes:
  1. fascinating poll on the war: http://newsbusters.org/node/10786
  2. Newsbusters: http://newsbusters.org/node/10786

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/uncategorized/cbs-poll-50-of-americans-say-we-will-succeed-in-iraq/