Zogby Poll: 52% Support U.S. Military Strike Against Iran

October 29, 2007
Zogby Poll: 52% Support U.S. Military Strike Against Iran

A majority of likely voters – 52% – would support a U.S. military strike to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, and 53% believe it is likely that the U.S. will be involved in a military strike against Iran before the next presidential election, a new Zogby America telephone poll shows.

When asked which presidential candidate would be best equipped to deal with Iran –
regardless of whether or not they expected the U.S. to attack Iran – 21% would most like to
see New York U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the country, while 15% would prefer former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and 14% would want Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain in charge. Another 10% said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama would be best equipped to deal with Iran, while Republican Fred Thompson (5%), Democrat John Edwards (4%) and Republican Mitt Romney (3%) were less likely to be viewed as the best leaders to help the U.S. deal with Iran. The telephone poll of 1,028 likely voters nationwide was conducted Oct. 24-27, 2007 and carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

What Americans Know: 1989-2007

April 15, 2007
What Americans Know: 1989-2007

Well-informed audiences come from cable (Daily Show/Colbert Report, O'Reilly Factor), the internet (especially major newspaper websites), broadcast TV (NewsHour with Jim Lehrer) and radio (NPR, Rush Limbaugh's program). The less informed audiences also frequent a mix of formats: broadcast television (network morning news shows, local news), cable (Fox News Channel), and the internet (online blogs where people discuss news events).

Aside from news media use, demographic characteristics, especially education, continue to be strongly associated with how much Americans know about the larger world. However, despite the fact that education levels have risen dramatically over the past 20 years, public knowledge has not increased Accordingly.

AP Poll: Congress approval up

April 9, 2007
AP Poll: Congress approval up

The findings from an AP-Ipsos nationwide poll provide a snapshot of public sentiment in the days after the House and Senate triggered a series of veto threats from the president by passing separate bills that provide funds for the war, yet also call for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops.

Overall approval for Congress is 40 percent. The survey shows Bush's approval ratings remain in the mid-30 percent range, that a striking 39 percent strongly disapproves his handling of foreign policy and the war on terror, and that the public has scant hopes that the president and Congress can work together to solve the country's problems.

Poll: 41.8 percent say U.S. credibility has been severely damaged

March 30, 2007
Poll: 41.8 percent say U.S. credibility has been severely damaged

WASHINGTON, March 30 (UPI) -- The damage to U.S. credibility regarding Iraqi weapons could affect the believability of similar charges against Iran, a UPI-Zogby International poll shows.

Asked about a hypothetical U.S. announcement on Iranian weapons development, respondents were mostly likely to say such acclaim would not be very credible (39.3 percent) and not at all credible (17.8). The "somewhat credible" answer pulled 32.7 percent of responses and "very credible" was chosen by 7.5 percent.

Poll: Giuliani, Clinton Lead

March 28, 2007
Poll: Giuliani, Clinton Lead

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new USA Today/Gallup poll suggests actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson could be a factor in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, should he decide to enter. Included for the first time in this poll, Thompson places third behind front-runner Rudy Giuliani and second-place John McCain. There has been little change in the Democratic ballot in recent weeks, other than a slight improvement for John Edwards. Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the Democratic leader, with Barack Obama, Al Gore, and Edwards also getting significant support.

On Iraq, 50% Trust Dems, 38% Prefer GOP

March 23, 2007
On Iraq, 50% Trust Dems, 38% Prefer GOP

As the House of Representatives narrowly passed legislation requiring most U.S. troops to leave Iraq by September 2008, 50% of Americans say they trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the situation in Iraq. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 38% trust Republicans more on this topic. Those figures have been relatively constant for several months. On the eve of Election 2006, 49% trusted Democrats more on Iraq while 42% placed their trust in the GOP (see history).

A separate survey found that just 30% of Americans give the President good or excellent marks for his handling of the situation in Iraq.

Men prefer Democrats on Iraq by a narrow 48% to 43% margin. Women, however, have a very strong preference for Nancy Pelosi´s party. Fifty-two percent (52%) of women trust Democrats while just 35% have more confidence in Republicans.

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007

March 22, 2007
Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007

Even more striking than the changes in some core political and social
values is the dramatic shift in party identification that has occurred
during the past five years. In 2002, the country was equally divided
along partisan lines: 43% identified with the Republican Party or
leaned to the GOP, while an identical proportion said they were
Democrats. Today, half of the public (50%) either identifies as a
Democrat or says they lean to the Democratic Party, compared with 35%
who align with the GOP.

Yet the Democrats' growing advantage in party identification is
tempered by the fact that the Democratic Party's overall standing with
the public is no better than it was when President Bush was first
inaugurated in 2001. Instead, it is the Republican Party that has
rapidly lost public support, particularly among political independents.
Faced with an unpopular president who is waging an increasingly
unpopular war, the proportion of Americans who hold a favorable view of
the Republican Party stands at 41%, down 15 points since January 2001.
But during that same period, the proportion expressing a positive view
of Democrats has declined by six points, to 54%.

Poll: Gonzales Approval Rating at 26%

March 14, 2007
Poll: Gonzales Approval Rating at 26%

Public opinion of the Attorney General is declining. The current survey, completed Tuesday night March 20, finds that just 26% have a favorable opinion of Gonzales. That's down six points from a survey conducted five days earlier. At the same time, the number with an unfavorable opinion of Gonzales has climbed to 52%. Last week, 49% had an unfavorable view, a figure that had already jumped up from 41% a month ago.

The number with a Very Unfavorable opinion of Gonzales is up to 28%. That's a 3-point increase over the past week and a ten-point increase over the past month. Just 8% have a Very Favorable opinion, down from 11% last week.

Poll: Most Iraqis live in fear of violence 4 years after invasion

March 18, 2007
Poll: Most Iraqis live in fear of violence 4 years after invasion

Four years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, nearly 9 of 10 Iraqis say they live in fear that the violence ravaging their country will strike themselves and the people with whom they live.

"There is no life at all," Solaf Mohamed Ali, 38, a Shiite woman who works in a bank. USA TODAY interviewed Ali and other Baghdad residents to supplement the poll findings. "We are eating, drinking and sleeping like animals, but animals are lucky because they are not scared all the time like we are. They don't think that they might be killed at any moment, so I think even the animals are much happier than us."

Poll: Bush Does Not Support Wounded Vet

March 13, 2007
Poll: Bush Does Not Support Wounded Vet

A poll suggests a vast majority of U.S. citizens believe the Bush administration is not doing enough to help wounded Iraq veterans.

The CBS News/New York Times poll found that 76 percent of respondents -- including a majority of those who identified themselves as Republicans -- are critical of the administration's policies towards wounded vets, CBS News reported Tuesday.

The poll follows a week of Congressional hearings regarding poor treatment of veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

Additionally, a 59 percent majority of respondents continue to oppose President Bush's decision to send 24,400 additional troops to Iraq. However, the number of respondents supporting Bush's decision, 36 percent, is a 7-point increase from a January poll.

Poll: 69 percent oppose pardon for Libby in CIA leak case

March 12, 2007
Poll: 69 percent oppose pardon for Libby in CIA leak case

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly 70 percent of Americans oppose a presidential pardon for former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby after his conviction on perjury and other charges related to a CIA agent's exposure, according to a CNN poll out Monday.

Just 18 percent said they would support a pardon for Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, while 69 percent said they opposed the idea. Meanwhile, a narrow majority said they believe Cheney was part of a cover-up in the case.

Poll: US Third Most Hated Country on Earth

March 5, 2007
Poll: US Third Most Hated Country on Earth

The BBC has been tracking opinions about countries' influence in the world over three years (2005 – 2007). During that time most ratings have remained relatively stable. There has been improvement in ratings of India, a slight decline in views about Britain and a significant fall in positive evaluations of the United States. Russia, China, and France also lost ground over the period, mainly between 2005 and 2006.

"It appears that people around the world tend to look negatively on countries whose profile is marked by the use or pursuit of military power," said Steven Kull, director of PIPA. This includes Israel and the US, who have recently used military force, and North Korea and Iran, who are perceived as trying to develop nuclear weapons."

BBC survey claims Israel has least positive image of any country

March 6, 2007
BBC survey claims Israel has least positive image of any country

Israel, Iran and the United States are the countries with the most negative image in a globe-spanning survey of attitudes toward 12 major nations. Canada and Japan came out best in the poll, released on Monday.

The survey for the British Broadcasting Corp.'s World Service asked more than 28,000 people to rate 12 countries - Britain, Canada, China, France, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Russia, the United States and Venezuela  as having a positive or negative influence on the world.

Poll: Bush Is Losing Support of Republicans

March 2, 2007
Poll: Bush Is Losing Support of Republicans

In the months since the Congressional elections, President Bush has lost substantial support among members of his own party, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Mr. Bush's approval rating dropped 13 percentage points since last fall among Republicans, 65 percent of whom now say they approve of the way he is handling his job as president, compared with 78 percent last October.

Over all, Mr. Bush's job approval remains at one of its lowest points, with 29 percent of all Americans saying they approve of the way he is doing his job, compared with 34 percent at the end
of October. Sixty-one percent disapproved, compared with 58 percent in October, within the margin of sampling error.

Majority Support U.S. Guarantee of Health Care

March 2, 2007
Majority Support U.S. Guarantee of Health Care

A majority of Americans say the federal government should guarantee health insurance to every American, especially children, and are willing to pay higher taxes to do it, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

While the war in Iraq remains the overarching issue in the early stages of the 2008 campaign, access to affordable health care is at the top of the public's domestic agenda, ranked far more important than immigration, cutting taxes or promoting traditional values.

Only 24 percent said they were satisfied with President Bush's handling of the health insurance issue, despite his recent initiatives, and 62 percent said the Democrats were more likely to improve the health care system.

Americans showed a striking willingness in the poll to make tradeoffs to guarantee health insurance for all, including paying as much as $500 more in taxes a year and forgoing future tax cuts.

Majority in Poll Favor Deadline For Iraq Pullout

February 23, 2007
Majority in Poll Favor Deadline For Iraq Pullout

Opposition to Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq remained strong. Two in three Americans registered their disapproval, with 56 percent saying they strongly object. The House recently passed a nonbinding resolution opposing the new deployments, but Republicans have blocked consideration of such a measure in the Senate.

The Post-ABC poll found that 53 percent of Americans favored setting a deadline for troop withdrawals. Among those who favored a deadline, 24 percent said they would like to see U.S. forces out within six months and 21 percent called for the withdrawals to be completed within a year. The rest of those who supported a timetable said they do not support withdrawing all troops until at least a year from now.

Dems lead on every major issue.

February 22, 2007
Dems lead on every major issue.

                                                     Both    Neither   No
                                 Bush    Dems   (vol.)   (vol.)    op.
a. The situation in Iraq              34      54       *        9       2
b. campaign against terrorism         39      52       2        5       2
c. The economy                        36      56       1        6       2
d. The federal budget                 32      59       1        6       2
e. Health care                        25      62       1        9       4

Poll: 63% Oppose Escalation

February 16, 2007
Poll: 63% Oppose Escalation

Would you favor or oppose sending more troops to Iraq?

• Favor, 35 percent (26)
• Oppose, 63 percent (70)
• Not sure, 2 percent (4)

Do you think the war in Iraq is ...

• A worthy cause, 39 percent
• A hopeless cause, 56 percent
• Both equally (volunteered), 2 percent
  
• Neither (volunteered), 2 percent
  
• Not sure, 1 percent

Poll: Most Americans Want Congress to Go Beyond Non-Binding Vote on War

February 13, 2007
Poll: Most Americans Want Congress to Go Beyond Non-Binding Vote on War

NEW YORK A new Gallup Poll released today -- as a landmark debate on the Iraq war begins in the House of Representatives -- finds that most Americans favor congressional action for a cap on, and then withdrawal of, troops. They are less excited about the current nonbinding resolution against a "surge."

America's view of Republicans crumbles in Iraq

February 14, 2007
America's view of Republicans crumbles in Iraq

According to the latest Gallup survey, Republican self-identification has declined nationally and in almost every American state. Why? The short answer is that President Bush's war of choice in Iraq has destroyed the partisan brand Republicans spent the past four decades building.

That brand was based upon four pillars: that Republicans are more trustworthy on defense and military issues; that they know when and where markets can replace or improve government; that they are more competent administrators of those functions government can't privatize; and, finally, that their public philosophy is imbued with moral authority. The war demolished all four claims.