POLL: Most Americans Agree with Obama That Iraq is Not “Central Front” in War on Terror

[jefferson_dem]

48% Agree With Obama That Iraq is Not “Central Front” in War on Terror
Thursday, July 17, 2008

Even as a growing number of Americans appear to believe the United States is finally winning the war on terror, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that nearly half (48%) agree with Barack Obama that Iraq is not the central front in that war.

Obama in a speech Tuesday declared: “As should have been apparent to President Bush and McCain, the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was.” If elected, the Democratic candidate said he plans to fight the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The survey taken Tuesday night finds 43% agree with Obama that Afghanistan is the central front in the war on terror. One-third of voters (33%) disagree. Again, nearly half (48%) believe that Afghanistan is a greater threat to the security of the United States than Iraq, while 28% rate Iraq as the bigger concern.

McCain, who was highly critical of Obama’s speech, announced yesterday (Wednesday) that he supported sending additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan to deal with growing instability there, something the Democrat has called for for months.

But in a separate Rasmussen Reports survey tracking 10 key electoral issues, national security was one of the only issues on which voters expressed more trust of Republicans than Democrats. In another survey released this week 44% of voters say that they trust Obama more when it comes to Iraq, while 43% trust McCain more. The GOP hopeful has an advantage on the broader topic of national security issues.

Half (51%) of all likely voters agree with Obama that “the war in Iraq diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military and our economy,” but three out of five (61%) believe the next president will be able to resolve the situation there in a way that is good for America.

<SNIP>

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/the_war_in_iraq/48_agree_with_obama_that_iraq_is_not_central_front_in_war_on_terror

[dkf]

1. How could it be when the guy responsible is still running around?

This is so obvious, its ridiculous.

[otohara]

2. 33%

What is it with 33%?

Did those 10% of Bush supporters that finally joined the rest of the country jump backward on this poll?

[DFLforever]

3. One of Obama's challenges is bringing people over to his way

of thinking.

It looks to me like he's making good progress and he just started his foreign policy offensive early this week.