The Afghanistan War Is Now More Unpopular Than The Iraq War

Afghanistan War Is Now More Unpopular Than Iraq War -- Danger Room

There is no “good war” anymore.

According to a New York Times poll, 69 percent of Americans think the U.S. shouldn’t be waging the Afghanistan war. That reinforces the findings of a recent Pew poll, in which nearly six-in-ten respondents supported bringing U.S. troops home ASAP. It’s a major hemorrhage of support. Just a few weeks ago, the war was merely unpopular, with 54 percent saying it wasn’t worth fighting.

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Update: Afghanistan Opinion Reaching Peak Anti-Iraq Levels -- Time

My Comment: Having the Afghan war reach this level of unpopularity is note-worthy for the simple fact that during the Iraq war the media/Democrats/academia/anti-war activists/etc. were consistent on a daily basis in their opposition to the conflict .... while in the case of today's Afghan war .... such consistent opposition is absent and/or mute at best. This is unfortunate because if this group exhibited the same intensity as they did with Iraq .... my prediction is that public opinion would have probably forced President Obama's to get out of Afghanistan a year or two ago instead of finding ourselves still mired in this hopeless conflict.

U.S. Public Support For Continued Involvement In The Afghan War Has Collapsed

Support In U.S. For Afghan War Drops Sharply, Poll Finds -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — After a series of violent episodes and setbacks, support for the war in Afghanistan has dropped sharply among both Republicans and Democrats, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The survey found that more than two-thirds of those polled — 69 percent — thought that the United States should not be at war in Afghanistan. Just four months ago, 53 percent said that Americans should no longer be fighting in the conflict, more than a decade old.

The increased disillusionment was even more pronounced when respondents were asked their impressions of how the war was going. The poll found that 68 percent thought the fighting was going “somewhat badly” or “very badly,” compared with 42 percent who had those impressions in November.

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Previous Post: American Support For War In Afghanistan Hits An All-Time Low

My Comment: Public support for the war is weaker than what the poll indicates. Many Democrats still support the conflict, and I believe they do so out of loyalty to President Obama. If the President was a Republican, this low Democrat support for continued involvement in the Afghan war would probably be hitting zero instead of the 10% that the poll is indicating.

My prediction .... by this time next year 90% of the US public will be pushing for an early withdrawal from Afghanistan .... and I am one of them.

American Support For War In Afghanistan Hits An All-Time Low

Poll: Support For War In Afghanistan Hits All-Time Low -- CBS News

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

Two weeks after an American soldier in Afghanistan allegedly went on a rampage killing 17 Afghan civilians, American confidence in the war is at an all-time low, a new CBS News/New York Times poll suggests.

According to the survey, conducted among 986 adults from March 21-25, just 23 percent of Americans believe the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting in Afghanistan. That percentage - the lowest ever recorded by CBS News and the New York Times in this survey - is down from 36 percent in November 2011. Sixty-nine percent of Americans said the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan, the highest percentage of respondents who have said so since CBS News/New York Times started asking that question in 2009.

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My Comment: By the end of the summer fighting season .... which I predict will be just as bloody as the past two years .... these poll results will show an even greater disapproval of the war.

A Majority Of Americans Want To Get Out Of Afghanistan NOW

Pew Poll: Majority Of Americans Favor Immediate Afghan Pull Out -- The Hill

The number of Americans who want all American forces removed from Afghanistan has hit 56 percent -- an “all-time high,” according to the Pew Research Center.

That was the result of a new Pew poll, which is up eight percentage points from the organization’s last Afghanistan survey, conducted shortly after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. The June 2010 incarnation of the poll found only 40 percent of Americans favored removing troops as soon as possible.

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My Comment: Regular readers of this blog know that I have been advocating for a phased pull-out from Afghanistan since 2008, but my reasons to do so have been different from the reasons that the White House has been advocating (my main argument is that if you want to win the war in Afghanistan, you must change the culture of Afghans ..... an impossibility unless you are willing to completely obliterate it, which fortunately is not our policy). The recent White House message has been that the costs of all of these wars is becoming unsustainable, that economics and our precarious financial/debt situation cannot continue .... a line of argument that most Americans have now accepted. Unfortunately .... when I read stories like this one .... I realize that this line of argument does not "jive" with the data. Our economic problems are far deeper than the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and God knows where else, and unless we want to remain a significant player on the international scene .... in the economic, military, and diplomacy fields .... we better start fixing our political/economic mess first. Cutting back from places like Iraq and Afghanistan .... yes .... cutting the defense budget yes .... but all of this will only solve a miniscule part of our debt/financial mess.

Majority Of Americans Want A Reduced Role In Afghanistan: Poll

Poll: Most Want Troops In Afghanistan Reduced -- CBS News

As the Obama administration prepares for a troop drawdown in Afghanistan, Americans are increasingly ready to see U.S. troops brought home, according to a new CBS News poll.

Sixty-four percent of Americans think the number of troops in Afghanistan should be decreased, according to the poll, conducted June 3-7. That's an increase of 16 points from last month and a record high for that question in CBS News polls. Twenty-two percent said troop levels should stay the same, while 8 percent said they should be increased.

There are currently about 100,000 American troops in Afghanistan, and President Obama has promised to start bringing home troops in July. It's unclear, however how significant the drawdown will be.

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My Comment: The politicians are listening, even though other polls give a different story.

Is Support For The Afghan War Growing In The U.S.?

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Support For Afghan War Rises, Poll Shows -- Washington Post

The number of Americans who say the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting has increased for the first time since President Obama announced at the end of 2009 that he would boost troop levels, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The finding may give Obama slightly more political breathing room as he decides how many troops to withdraw from Afghanistan in July, the deadline he set 18 months ago to begin bringing home the additional U.S. forces.

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My Comment: The summer fighting season is now starting in Afghanistan, and trends indicate a body count even greater than last years. My prediction ..... President Obama may be receiving a bump in the polls from registered Democrats after the Bin Laden killing, but this will quickly dissipate as the body bags start returning home from Afghanistan.

Polls: Record High Disapproval Of Obama's Handling Of War In Afghanistan

EMERGENCY RESPONSE - U.S. medical and security personnel from Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul leave the gate of Forward Operating Base Smart for Zabul Provincial Hospital, Afghanistan, April 23, 2011, after being notified of a medical emergency. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

New Low For Obama On Afghanistan -- ABC News

A record 49 percent of Americans now disapprove of President Obama’s handling of the situation in Afghanistan, up 8 points since January. And those who disapprove “strongly” outnumber strong approvers by nearly a 2-1 margin.

With Obama holding his monthly national security meeting on Afghanistan today, the results show a significant drop in the president’s approval rating on handling the issue, down 12 points in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll from a year ago.

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My Comment: The Taliban are reading these same polls .... and they are probably coming to the same conclusion that I have reached .... the U.S. public is losing the will to continue the fight in Afghanistan.

U.S. Poll Finds Slim Majority Back More Troops in Afghan War

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — A bare majority of Americans support President Obama’s plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, but many are skeptical that the United States can count on Afghanistan as a partner in the fight or that the escalation would reduce the chances of a domestic terrorist attack, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

In the wake of the president’s address last week explaining his decision, the poll found a 10 percentage point increase in public approval of Mr. Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan since last month, to 48 percent. But the shift reflects a twist on the political polarization that has marked much of Mr. Obama’s first year in office: Republican and independent voters are rallying behind Mr. Obama as he presses for the troop escalation, while Democrats remain decidedly cool to his war plans.

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My Comment: These poll results (now) have only one direction to go .... and it is down. When the body bags start to come home in large numbers when the fighting season starts in the spring of 2010, and the difficulty of fighting a war in Afghanistan becomes better understood by the American public .... American sentiment and their perception on how President Obama is fighting this war will only worsen. I am sure that President Obama understands this .... but considering the alternative of leaving Afghanistan .... he is probably realizing that he does not have any "politically acceptable" alernatives to grasp at this time.

You Cannot Fight And Win A War With These Poll Numbers

Poll: Narrow Majority Support Obama's Afghan Strategy -- USA Today

WASHINGTON — A narrow majority of Americans support President Obama's revamped strategy on Afghanistan, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Wednesday, but there are broad concerns that the costs of the war will sap the government's ability to address problems facing the nation at home.

Though the results underscore a significant selling job ahead for the White House, they also show a willingness by Democratic voters to back Obama despite their reservations about the war.

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My Comment: When you read the details of this poll, I quickly realized that there is no narrow majority support for Obama's Afghan strategy. USA Today cherry picked the results that they wanted to publicize, ignoring the results of questions in which it is clear that the majority of respondents were not in favor of the President's policy.

For example .... 80% are against the President's timetable for withdrawing, and only 40% are in favor of the number that is being deployed. How this can be construed as favoring the President's strategy is beyond me.

Majority Of Americans Have Doubts On President Obama's Afghan Strategy

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Afghan Plan Strewn With Doubts -- Investors Daily

A whopping 70% of Americans — including 52% of Democrats as well as 88% of Republicans and 73% of Independents — think the Obama administration does not have a clear plan for Afghanistan, according to the latest IBD/TIPP Poll.

But then, the public itself seems unsure of the best course of action in the nine-year-old conflict.

Americans continue to oppose an immediate troop withdrawal, with even Democrats opposing such an action by 52% to 45%. But in contrast to last month, more now believe the war is unwinnable and oppose sending more troops and resources.

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My Comment: Only 70% .... I was expecting a number closer to 90%.

U.S. Deeply Split On Troop Increase For Afghan War

U.S. Marines provide security for fellow Marines during a patrol through the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 14, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg

From The Washington Post:

As President Obama and his war cabinet deliberate a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Americans are evenly and deeply divided over whether he should send 40,000 more troops there, and public approval of the president's handling of the situation has tumbled, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has recommended the substantial increase in troop strength, and 47 percent of those polled favor the buildup, while 49 percent oppose it. Most on both sides hold their views "strongly." The survey also found that a large majority of Americans say the administration lacks a clear plan for dealing with the problems in Afghanistan.

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My Comment: After almost 8 years of war in Afghanistan, American sentiment on the war in Afghanistan is starting to degrade. I expect this to continue when fighting resumes at the end of winter in 2010, and the body bags start to come back home with a frequency that will match what had happened in Iraq during the height of that conflict.

The White House consultations that are going on now (and probably will continue for the next month or two) are going to be critical on what will be the ultimate direction of American involvement in Afghanistan. My own impression is that President Obama does not have any appetite to significantly increase the U.S. troop presence in the country. He must have been shown what would be the casualty projections and costs .... and I am sure that when it hit him it must have made him physically sick. But as distasteful as a full time commitment to Afghanistan may be, the alternative direction is just as unappealing and .... it could be worse.

But all is not lost. If President Obama can provide the necessary leadership on this difficult conflict, these poll numbers will mean nothing. The American public will always support a war if the cause is right and noble, and if it is articulated as such from the Commander In Chief.

But .... if President Obama cannot provide the leadership that this conflict requires .... these poll numbers will then mean everything for him and for his administration, and in the end we will lose this war.

54% Of Americans Oppose The Afghan War

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Stephen Maloney, right, hammers nails into the side wall of an observation post to improve security on Patrol Base Jaker in the Nawa district in Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 31, 2009. Maloney is assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. John M. McCall

Support For Afghan War Drops, CNN Poll Finds -- CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new national poll indicates that support among Americans for the war in Afghanistan has hit a new low.

Forty-one percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday say they favor the war in Afghanistan -- down 9 points from May, when CNN polling suggested that half of the public supported the war.

Fifty-four percent say they oppose the war in Afghanistan, up 6 points from May.

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My Comment: If the body bags returning home and the fighting continues at the pace that has been happening in Afghanistan for the past month .... and there is no clear direction or leadership from Washington .... these numbers will start to hit 60% to 70% (if not higher) oppose by this time next year.

Worse for the Democrats being the Party in power .... these sentiments will be felt at the ballot box with most of the Democratic antiwar base staying home in the Congressional elections slated for November 2010..