Minnesotans unsure of how the U.S. should resolve Iraq situation

[LoZoccolo]

Given an array of options in a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll, only 15 percent of respondents said they favored an immediate withdrawal. That was matched by another 15 percent who would make no troop cutbacks until a stable government can be achieved in Iraq, a goal considered likely by only about one-third of respondents.

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S218924.shtml?cat=89

But oh, Nancy Pelosi was elected to have every one of the troops get up and go home right this minute, and the Democrats are not doing the job they were elected to do. Yeah.

[LoZoccolo]

1. That's about in line with national polls, too, by the way.

Among supporters of a withdrawal timetable, 70% prefer a gradual withdrawal, 30% an immediate one. That reflects a slight shift — albeit within the survey's margin of error — toward gradual withdrawal.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/09/poll-finds-soli.html

Friendly warning: read this poll before you respond about it.

[kenfrequed]

2. uh ok

But that adds up to about a total of 30%.

If you are going to post a few selective stats like that and pretend like 'the nation is completely divided' at least fess up to it.

Most polls have a clear and completely undeniable majority of Americans wanting the soldiers out within 6-9 months. Oddly there was a reasonable majority of Americans that favored this last January.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Remember back when the majority of the country supported Bush?

They were wrong then too.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. “In matters of conscience, the law of majority has no place.” Gandhi

I don't give a rip if 99.99% of the populace thins the war is a fine idea and the congress should continue to fund it.

If the congress is playing to the polls, as they apparently are to ensure their seats at the trough, then they are playing politics with lives.

[Deep13]

7. That kind of goes against the definition of democracy.

Everyone has an individual conscience (except Carl Rove). The question is what is the nation going to do?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Which points out one of the fallacies of democracy.

That majority of "the people" may want war doesn't make it justifiable, reasonable, or wise.

[Deep13]

10. That is true. The whole country can be sure and be dead wrong.

The problem is that there is no absolute standard by which to judge. If we rely on experts as we did for this Iraq fiasco, there is no guarantee that they will not screw us. This can be true of ascertaining objective facts, but it is especially problematic when dealing with value judgments based on morals and prognostications about what is in the country's best interest. While not universally true, usually the concensus from an informed (uh-oh!) populace is the best way to decide.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. The "uh-oh" is indeed the problem. But, even beyond that.

History is jam-packed with examples of "the majority" working in exactly the opposite of their obvious best interest.

[Turbineguy]

5. Well, that IS the problem

Bush got us into this mess and nobody can really get us out. The solution is to leap into the dark and hope for the best. Most of us do not run our lives that way, hence the warnings about invading Iraq. They really did not have an exit strategy. But since it appears that there is no solution...

Myself, I favor simply setting a time point and leaving. Further bloodshed against Iraqis will be the responsibility of the perpetrators. One of the effects of the insurgency has been to keep US troops in Iraq. Reasonable and moderate people feel we cannot turn the country over with all the violence. In reality we provide the excuse for this violence. It would be nice if we could simply leave without eleciting some sort of revenge, but that's unlikely too. This will haunt us for a long time. In the meantime, Islamic terrorists are setting up bases in South America and where ever they can. We will undergo years of attacks on our soil as a result of the Bush Administration. The WORST PRESIDENT EVER!

[Deep13]

6. Well if the experts are stumped, how can the rest of us figure it out?

:shrug:

[Rhythm and Blue]

9. That's the problem right there, and that's why the Dems haven't ended it.

Nobody wants to stay, nobody wants to leave. Everyone wants it never to have happened, but beyond that, nobody has a clue. People's opinions are often ill-formed and self-contradictory.

Hell, even in that little blurb there, there isn't any consistency of opinion. If a third think a stable government can be achieved, but only 15% would make no cutbacks until then, that means that 15% of Minnesotans believe that Iraq can be saved, but that we shouldn't bother.

I wish the Democrats would stop following the public on this issue, because the public doesn't know what it wants. We need a leader. We don't trust the Republicans, and the Dems aren't any surer of what to do than anyone else is.