Half Now Foresee U.S. Loss in Iraq; Public Divided on Withdrawal Deadline
A bare majority of Americans for the first time think the United States will lose the war in Iraq, and a new high – two-thirds – say it was not worth fighting. Yet the public divides on setting a deadline for withdrawal.
That mix of sentiments – unhappy with the war, unclear what to do about it – is keeping George W. Bush in deep disfavor. Just 35 percent approve of his job performance overall, a scant two points above his career low. And just 29 percent like how he’s dealing with the situation in Iraq.
Moreover, in a shift, most Americans in this ABC News/Washington Post poll now reject Bush’s argument that winning in Iraq is necessary to win the broader war against terrorism. Fifty-seven percent disagree with that contention, up from 47 percent in January. That echoes a change that appeared in January and continues today, in which most (56 percent) now favor eventual withdrawal even if civil order is not restored.
Yet, given pro and con arguments (avoiding further casualties vs. potentially encouraging Iraqi insurgents), a pullout deadline is not broadly popular. The public divides about evenly, 51-48 percent, on setting any deadline. It’s about the same specifically on the effort by congressional Democrats to force withdrawal by no later than August 2008.