POLL: Candidates' Positions on Iraq Very Important to '08 Vote

[jefferson_dem]

PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest USA Today/Gallup poll finds little change in overall support for the war, with more than half of Americans saying it was a mistake to send troops to Iraq. In terms of the 2008 presidential election, Americans say they would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who insists on a timetable for removing U.S. troops from Iraq, and less likely to vote for a candidate who wants to cut off funding for the war. More than 7 in 10 Americans say a candidate's position on the Iraq war will be extremely or very important to their vote next year. Even though a majority of Americans say the United States can win the war in Iraq, fewer than one in three predict it actually will win the war. Americans are somewhat more likely than they were in March to say the country can win the war, but many fewer believe this today than in the prior two years.

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Iraq and Election 2008

Gallup polling shows that Iraq is clearly the public's No. 1 policy concern, and is likely to play a major role in voting decisions next year. The June 1-3, 2007, poll finds 33% of Americans saying a candidate's past and current positions on Iraq will be extremely important in determining their vote next year, with an additional 41% saying the candidate's positions will be very important. Only about one in four Americans say these will be somewhat important (19%) or not that important (6%).

Delving further into the possible impact of the Iraq issue on the election, the poll asked Americans how two of the more controversial policy proposals on the war would affect their vote. These include a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq and voting to cut off funding for the war, both of which were at the heart of the recent debate on Iraq war funding in Congress.

A majority of Americans, 58%, say they are more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who "only supports legislation on the war that includes a timetable for removing U.S. troops from Iraq." Thirty-six percent say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who insists on such a provision in future Iraq policy.

Only about one in three Americans (33%) say they are more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who "supports legislation that would cut off funding for the war in Iraq," while 60% say they are less likely.



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http://www.galluppoll.com/content/default.aspx?ci=27829&pg=1

[wakeme2008]

1. This will be a wake up call for the DLCers out there

:evilgrin: