Poll Shows Mixed Results For Bush

Poll Shows Mixed Results for Bush

Highlights of the CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll on Bush and Iraq. It is a very small poll with a whopping plus or minus %5 percent margin of error, but presumably the errors should all run the same way, so it does tell us something.

Does Bush have a plan that will achieve victory for the US in Iraq?

Yes: 41%; No: 55%

How has Bush handled the Iraq War?

Well: 44%; Poorly: 54%

Can a democratic government in Iraq be established that won’t be overthrown?

Likely: 47%; Unlikely: 49%

Will Iraq be able to prevent terrorists from using their country as a base of operations?

Yes: 33%; No: 63% (!!!)

But then 48 percent said that the war will make the US safer from terrorism in the long run. (43 percent said no.) I guess the item above is short to medium term.

I interpret this poll as fairly good news for Bush. His base still thinks he is doing a good job. A big majority think the Iraq war will prevent terrorism in the long run, though with a lot of short term dangers. About half think Iraq can be stood up as a democratic regime. Although a majority think Bush is doing a bad job in Iraq and hasn’t a clue how to achieve victory, it isn’t a really big majority and the Red States seem still to be with him.