Majority Oppose Obama's Decisions on Gitmo and Abo

[lazarus]

Americans aren't pleased with President Barack Obama's decisions to close Guantanamo Bay and to fund overseas abortions.

Will media notice?

Such seems an important question given press fascination with virtually any poll showing how popular the new president is. Will they report when his decisions aren't?

Consider the following data released by Gallup Monday:

The public does not agree with everything Obama has done, however. For example, more Americans say they disapprove (50%) than approve (44%) of his decision to order the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorist suspects in Cuba within a year.

Further, Obama's decision to reverse the prohibition on funding for overseas family-planning providers may be the least popular thing he has done so far. This was an executive order that forbade federal government money from going to overseas family-planning groups that provide abortions or offer abortion counseling. Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of Obama's decision to lift this ban, while only 35% approve of it. The ban on federal funds to these groups was put in place by Ronald Reagan, but lifted by Bill Clinton. George W. Bush re-instituted the ban after taking office in 2001, but Obama has once again lifted it.

The abortion and Guantanamo Bay prison decisions are especially unpopular among Republicans; only 8% approve of the former and 11% of the latter. But these are also the least popular decisions among independents and Democrats as well, though a majority of Democrats still approve of both.

Will this information get a lot of attention from Obama-loving media?

Stay tuned.

newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/02/03/majority-oppose-obamas-decisions-gitmo-abortion

[MacBeth]

Gallup would beg to differ with the Newsbusters take on their poll. Details are available at the link to the Gallup site below) With 20% unsure, that is a large undecided segment of the population. Add to that, the lie of the 50% figure in the launch post - and you have spin at it very best/worst


Americans Send No Clear Mandate on Guantanamo Bay

Slightly more prefer keeping the prison open than prefer closing it, but 20% unsure

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With President Barack Obama already taking action relating to the U.S. prison Guantanamo Bay on his first full day in office, Americans are sending no clear mandate on the issue. Slightly more think the United States should not close the prison than say it should, 45% to 35%.

These views are similar to those expressed in 2007, at which time 33% favored closing the prison but 53% were opposed and 13% had no opinion. The major difference since that time is that slightly fewer now favor keeping the prison open (from 53% to 45%), and slightly more do not express an opinion (from 13% to 20%).

About 245 prisoners remain at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where at least 800 detainees have spent time since the Bush Administration began holding terrorist suspects there after 9/11. The Bush Administration contends the remaining prisoners are "the worst of the worst," but the long-term detentions there have become a symbol, in the United States and abroad, of U.S. mismanagement of the war on terrorism. The incoming Obama Administration has signaled it will swiftly make good on its campaign promise to close the prison, but Obama himself has said "it is more difficult than people realize." A recent Gallup Poll finds that closing Guantanamo is, in fact, not a top priority for Americans, only 32% of whom consider it "very important" that Obama fulfill his promise to do so, far fewer than say the same about other issues regarding healthcare, energy, and tax cuts. Now this additional question shows that a slight plurality favors keeping the prison open, although one out of five have no opinion on the issue. The poll also sheds light on the extent to which views on Guantanamo Bay break decisively down party lines. More than two-thirds of Republicans (69%) think the U.S. should keep the prison open, while more than half of Democrats (51%) think the prison should be closed.

A similar divide is evident by ideology. More than two-thirds of self-described liberals (68%) want to close the prison, while 61% of conservatives want to keep it open.

Taken together, two conclusions can be made in terms of Americans' views on Guantanamo Bay. President Obama's most loyal supporters -- Democrats and liberals -- do lean decisively toward closing the U.S. prison there. But Americans overall do not express such a clear preference, and in fact are more likely to prefer keeping the prison open. While swift action to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay will draw a clear dividing line between the policies of the Bush Administration versus the Obama Administration, it is more likely to be well-received by Obama's most loyal base of support than by the broader cross-section of Americans who have generally given high marks to Obama's presidential decisions so far. If Obama does choose to close the prison, which these data suggest would go against public opinion, at least to an extent, it could provide an early test of how much Americans' high ratings of Obama to date will reflect the more controversial decisions Obama, as president, will now be forced to make.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,046 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 16-17, 2009. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.



www.gallup.com/poll/113893/Americans-Send-No-Clear-Mandate-Guantanamo-Bay.aspx

[oskar]

Majority Oppose Obama's Decisions on Gitmo and Abo

So what?

[Pax]

Lazarus, I'm glad you started this thread -- we can start listing everything that the American people support in a majority! Since you started it, I'll add a few more, then it's your turn:

a bigger majority -- 70% -- want Obama to stick to his promise to pull out the troops within the next 16 months,

a majority of 51% agrees with Obama that Iraq is peripheral to the broader war on terror,

52% of the nation's adults are in favor of Congress passing [Obama's stimulus] plan and 37% are opposed, while 11% have no opinion.

Of seven actions Barack Obama has taken during the early days of his presidency, five are supported by large majorities of Americans.

At least 71 percent of US people support president-elect Barack Obama, according to a survey of the Real Clear Politics (RCP) website.

Large majorities of Democrats and independents, and even half of Republicans, believe the president of the United States should meet with the leaders of countries that are considered enemies of the United States. Overall, 67% of Americans say this kind of diplomacy is a good idea.

Fifty-five percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday back the president-elect when it comes to reducing the number of American combat troops in Iraq and increasing the number in Afghanistan.

Sixty-three percent of those polled oppose the war in Iraq, with 36 percent "favor" it. Fifty-two percent "favor" the war in Afghanistan, with 46 percent in opposition.

Fewer than half (45 percent) now believe the country is on the wrong track, compared with 70 percent who said so in early January.

Sources:
www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2009/01/26/five-states-with-highest-obama-approval-ratings.html

tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/poll_large_majority_supports_o.php

www.gallup.com/poll/114028/Slim-Majority-Supports-Economic-Stimulus-Plan.aspx

www.gallup.com/poll/114091/Americans-Approve-Obama-Actions-Date.aspx

www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B9214E053-42AC-4247-A230-8D764B5E1ABC%7D)&language=EN

www.oliverwillis.com/2008/06/02/vast-majority-support-obama-doctrine-reject-bushmccain-doctrine/

www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/04/poll.troops/index.html

zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.cfm?ID=18726

[oskar]

ROFL

[MacBeth]

Some other things that majority (a real majority in this case) are in favor of or opposed to:

With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?
Pro-choice: 53%

www.pollingreport.com/abortion.htm

In general, do you support or oppose Congress and the President passing an $825 billion economic stimulus plan to jumpstart the economy, even if it means increasing the federal deficit in order to do so?
Support: 54%

www.pollingreport.com/budget.htm

No countries should be allowed to have nuclear weapons
Agree: 66%

www.pollingreport.com/defense.htm

Do you support or oppose stricter gun control laws in the United States?
Support: 54%

Requiring gun owners to register their guns with the local government
Support: 79%

Limiting the number of guns an individual can own
Support: 51%

www.pollingreport.com/guns.htm

Do you think people who are openly gay or homosexual should or should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?
Should: 81%

Legally-sanctioned gay and lesbian unions or partnerships
Support: 55%

Adoption rights for gays and lesbians so they can legally adopt children
Support: 53%

www.pollingreport.com/civil.htm

When it comes to Social Security, do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?
Disapprove: 60%

www.pollingreport.com/social.htm

[Pax]

Lazarus, wow, Beth and I managed to come up with about 10 things each that the majority support. You have one so far.

Looking forward to the other nine! I'm sure you'll meet expectations.

[MacBeth]

Approval of Obama's Actions to Date:

Naming special envoys for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan: 76%

Limiting interrogation techniques on prisoners: 74%

Instituting higher fuel efficiency standards: 74%

Making it easier for workers to sue for pay discrimination: 66%



www.gallup.com/poll/114091/Americans-Approve-Obama-Actions-Date.aspx

[wheelspinner]

Did the USA stop being a democracy suddenly? The man ran on this platform; he won. He gets to implement his policies. End of story.

Don't like democracy? Move to Cuba.

[Pax]

I don't completely agree with that, wheelspinner -- taken literally, that attitude leads to people like Bush, who earn a 51% "mandate" and proceed to implement policies that presumably 51% of the country really want, and the other 49% can kiss his ass. And/or Tom Delay, who once said that there is no problem with being partisan, indeed it is a virtue, he said, because when you're in the majority you get to execute your party's priorities, and when the other party is in the majority, they get to, period. I have a problem with that. That kind of attitude guarantees disunity and division.

I agree far more with Obama's approach, which is that the overall flavor gets to be and should be his, BUT his policies are mindful of and influenced by the concerns and priorities of the minority. As Obama said at one time, Obama represents the interested of ALL who live in the United States -- even those who don't agree with him/didn't vote for him.

[lazarus]

Have to get to work, but I'll respond to some of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?


Personally, I lean towards a woman's right to choose....not to say I approve of using it typically as birth control (as some do) and I have serious problems with underage girls that are aborted without parental notification.

In general, do you support or oppose Congress and the President passing an $825 billion economic stimulus plan to jumpstart the economy, even if it means increasing the federal deficit in order to do so?


It's an ill-conceived scheme that, in it's present form will do precious little to "stimulate" growth. Fine if the goal is to increase Government and saddle our children with massive debt.

No countries should be allowed to have nuclear weapons

Certainly not a Country operating under a Dictator employing terrorism as a means of enslaving others.

Do you support or oppose stricter gun control laws in the United States?

I support the totally adequate laws currently on the books.

Requiring gun owners to register their guns with the local government

They are already registered with the Federal Government at time of purchase. As long as I am not a felon, they can keep their nose out of my affairs and possessions.

Limiting the number of guns an individual can own

A very slippery slope here. How many is "too many?" How few is "too few?"


Do you think people who are openly gay or homosexual should or should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?

Why not? No problem if they can do the job. We already have folks like Barney Frank openly working for the Gubment...

Legally-sanctioned gay and lesbian unions or partnerships
Support:

Do whatever you want...just don't sanction it as a legal "marriage." It ain't and saying so won't make it so...


Adoption rights for gays and lesbians so they can legally adopt children.


I personally have a problem with raising a child without the benefit of both male and female guidance.



When it comes to Social Security, do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?

I thought Bush was out? Again, personally I think we should be allowed (and encouraged) to use our own money in the investment vehicle of our choice. SS as it now exists is nothing more than a Ponzi Scheme.

[Pax]

Thanks for taking the time to answer all those, Lazarus, but I don't think that was the question. Those were just survey questions, with their associated results, all of which indicated majority support by those surveyed of Obama's and/or traditionally democratic goals. It's interesting to discover, though, that there's a strong streak of liberal Democrat in you, being, as you are, pro-choice, pro-civil union, and pro-gays-in-the-military.

So, anyway, as it stands, you've come up with one issue that a majority of those surveyed are against Obama on according to that survey; I've come up with nine where the majority are in support of Obama (or traiditionally democratic issues); Beth's come up with fifteen where the majority is in support of Obama (or traiditionally democratic issues).

Come to think of it, wow, that kind of throws the entire "accepted fact" of a "fundamentally conservative" United States into question, doesn't it?

As well, not sure what you're trying to say, here. Are you saying that, if a majority support something, then that's what our government should do? If so, then Clinton should never have been impeached at all... is that what you're saying? You're saying that all of those Democratic goals should be passed, because a majority wish it? You're saying that Obama was right and McCain was wrong pretty much during the entire 20-month campaign about withdrawing troops sooner rather than later from Iraq, because during that entire time, a majority of US citizens wished it? I assume that's NOT what you're saying, so... well, I'm not clear on why you posted this article in the first place...?

[wheelspinner]

Feb 4, 2009 9:48:59 GMT -5 Pax said:

I don't completely agree with that, wheelspinner -- taken literally, that attitude leads to people like Bush, who earn a 51% "mandate" and proceed to implement policies that presumably 51% of the country really want, and the other 49% can kiss his ass.

That's not exactly what I'm putting. What I'm getting at is that Obama ran on these matters as high-profile positions in his campaign. They weren't buried in the detail of policy papers that nobody read. Since he won a very larege mandate running on these very public positions, he's entitled to implement them, regardless of what a poll or two might say.

I wouldn't argue that a government can leverage a "mandate" to do just anything. For example, John Howard inctroduced some very regressive industrial relations law shortly after he was last elected. It had never even been mentioned in the campaign, and he use his newly-obtained Senate majority to ram it through the Parliament with almost no debate. This legislation was considered a large part of the reason why he lost office in '07.