[Peace-discuss] WaPo: Liberals, Dems, Women Abandon Afghan War

[Robert Naiman]

Among liberals, his rating on handling the war, which he calls one of
"necessity," has fallen swiftly, with strong approval cratering by 20
points. Nearly two-thirds of liberals stand against a troop increase,
as do about six in 10 Democrats.
…
Beyond ideological and partisan divisions on the war, women have
shifted against the war more sharply than men and are far more apt to
say troop levels should be decreased (51 percent) than are men (38
percent). Nearly six in 10 women say the war was not worth fighting,
up from just under half last month.

Majority in Post-ABC Poll Say Afghan War Not Worth Fighting
Few Express Confidence in Lasting Results From Thursday's Election
Jennifer Agiesta and Jon Cohen, Washington Post, Wednesday, August 19,
2009 4:58 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081903066.html

A majority of Americans now see the war in Afghanistan as not worth
fighting and just a quarter say more U.S. troops should be sent to the
country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
…
The new poll comes amid widespread speculation that the top U.S.
commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, will request
more troops for his stepped-up effort to root the Taliban from Afghan
towns and villages. That is a position that gets the backing of 24
percent of those polled, while nearly twice as many, 45 percent, want
to decrease the number of military forces there. (Most of the
remainder say to keep the level about the same.)

In January, before President Obama authorized sending an additional
17,000 troops to the country, public sentiment tilted more strongly
toward a troop increase.

Should President Obama embrace his general's call for even more U.S.
military forces, he risks alienating some of his staunchest supporters
While 60 percent of all Americans approve of how Obama has handled the
situation in Afghanistan, his ratings among liberals have slipped and
majorities of liberals and Democrats alike now, for the first time,
solidly oppose the war and are calling for a reduction in troops.

Overall, seven in 10 Democrats say the war has not been worth its
costs, and fewer than one in five support an increase in troop levels.
Nearly two-thirds of the most committed Democrats now feel "strongly"
that the war was not worth fighting. Among moderate and conservative
Democrats, a slim majority say the United States is losing in
Afghanistan.
…
Among all adults, 51 percent now say the war is not worth fighting, up
six points since last month and four points above the previous high,
reached in February. Less than half, 47 percent, say the war is worth
its costs. Those strongly opposed (41 percent) outweigh strong
proponents (31 percent).
…
Among liberals, his rating on handling the war, which he calls one of
"necessity," has fallen swiftly, with strong approval cratering by 20
points. Nearly two-thirds of liberals stand against a troop increase,
as do about six in 10 Democrats.
…
Beyond ideological and partisan divisions on the war, women have
shifted against the war more sharply than men and are far more apt to
say troop levels should be decreased (51 percent) than are men (38
percent). Nearly six in 10 women say the war was not worth fighting,
up from just under half last month.


--
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org