GALLUP POLL: 72% support Obama's Afghanistan troop withdrawal plan.

[jefferson_dem]

Poll: Obama's Afghanistan plan wins public support
By Susan Page, USA TODAY

President Obama's plan to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year and next wins broad approval from Americans who are increasingly ready for the nation's longest war to end, a Gallup Poll finds.

The survey, taken after the president's nationally televised address on Afghanistan last Wednesday, shows an overwhelming 72% favor his blueprint, including 50% of Republicans. Those who support it include a significant number who would like to see a faster withdrawal than he has proposed.

Twenty-three percent of those polled oppose the president's plan.

"After the elimination of (Osama) bin Laden and the steady drumbeat of bad news from Afghanistan, I think most people are ready to follow the president's lead on this — especially if his lead is to lead us out of there," says Richard Eichenberg, a political scientist at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Although Democrats favor Obama's plan by nearly 9-1, there are warning signs for the president in his own party, according to John Mueller of Ohio State University, who studies public opinion toward wars.

<SNIP>

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-06-28-afghanistan-obama-poll_n.htm#

[Divernan]

1. Most Americans support ANY plan from ANYONE to withdraw troops

"Those who support it include a significant number who would like to see a faster withdrawal than he has proposed."

[NorthCarolina]

2. "A significant number"

Yes, likely to be 100% of that 72%.

[jefferson_dem]

4. If you look at the table, you will see that 43% say Obama's plan is "about right" while

19% say "too many" and 29% say "too few" troops will be withdrawn.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Of course, of that 72%, 99% want faster withdrawl

"Those who support it include a significant number who would like to see a faster withdrawal than he has proposed."
So 'support' in this case just does not mean '72% think this is the right way to do it' it means '72% are in favor of anything that ends this madness or slows it at all'.

[CakeGrrl]

6. But at least those 72% are REASONABLE about it.

They're not tearing their hair out calling the President a failure.

You can try to parse the word "support" all you want, but it's a net positive for the President's general approach regardless.

[phleshdef]

8. No. Look at the numbers. 40% of the 72 want a faster withdrawl. 60% say its about right.

43% overall say its about right, 29% say faster withdrawal. 29 is about 40% of 72, not 99.

[TheWraith]

9. Actually no, only a little under a third of the 72% want faster withdrawal.

19% think it's too fast, 29% think it's too slow, 43% find it about right.

[CakeGrrl]

5. Accidental unrec - meant to K/R!

[Scurrilous]

7. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Dokkie]

10. How about we bring

ALL of em home now and stop pussy footing. 11 yrs is more than enough time to do everything we need to do.

[backscatter712]

11. Strategy hint: This is the Overton Window in action!

We demand an immediate pullout, the other side, understanding the Overton Window as well, demands we stay in, and expand.

Except the wind's at our backs now, starting with the death of Osama Bin Laden giving an excuse to declare victory and bring the troops home, and with the deficit situation, the support for spending all that money down there is falling apart, despite all the efforts of the military-industrial complex.

Did we demand a partial withdrawal? No, we demanded all the troops out.

What did we get? Some troops pulled out. Not all of what we wanted, but we got some of what we wanted, and we got an Overton shift, in our direction.

Keep demanding a full pullout! It'll probably take several more iterations, but this war can be brought to a close.