Disapproval of Barack Obama's handling of the situation in Libya has grown sharply in the past month, with the president facing criticism from Americans who oppose U.S. military involvement – but also from some of those who say the mission's aim is too limited.
Fifty-six percent support the U.S. military involvement overall, but many fewer, 42 percent, approve of Obama's handling of the situation. While his approval has held nearly steady, disapproval has grown by 15 points in the past month, with fewer undecided.
The disconnect relates to the mission; the poll, produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, finds that among Americans who support U.S. military participation, most say it should be aimed at ousting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, not just protecting civilians.
In effect, the poll divides Americans into three groups:
Forty percent of Americans oppose U.S. military participation; in this group, just 27 percent approve of Obama's handling of the situation, while 65 percent disapprove. An additional 32 percent support U.S. involvement, but say the aim should be to remove Gadhafi from power, not only to protect civilians. Obama gets a higher approval rating for handling Libya in this group, but hardly a robust one – 49 percent Support for an increased U.S. role is lower still, 9 percent, among those who favor the current mission, protecting civilians. In both groups, sizable majorities say U.S. involvement should be kept about the same as it is now.GROUPS – Views of Obama's handling of Libya break down along partisan and ideological lines; however, views on U.S. involvement in the military action cross those lines. It's backed by 62 percent of Republicans, 56 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of independents; and support ranges from 54 to 59 percent of conservatives, moderates and liberals.
As often is the case with military action, support is 11 points lower among women than men.
Among people who support the military action overall, support specifically for removing Gadhafi is 15 points higher among Republicans than among Democrats, though it reaches majorities in both groups, 68 and 53 percent, respectively. It's also higher among conservatives, 67 percent, than among moderates or liberals, 51 percent.
METHODOLOGY – This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone April 14-17, 2011, among a random national sample of 1,001 adults, including landline and cell-phone-only respondents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y, with sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS of Horsham, Pa.
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This was a strange one; no doubt.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we're staying out of it.
The last two weeks our oil, and products imports have been down quite a bit. I think the "floating" Iranian oil is gone, and this is the "new normal."
Is there some kind of consistent coherent foreign policy driving our involvement in Libya or are they making it up as they go along?
ReplyDeleteOne second we are insisting that Pakistan can't look both ways with regards terrorism then we pay billions in Dane-Geld to the same people that brought us the Taliban. We spend $330 billion a day un Afghanistan and no one believes that will ever get right and if it does who cares?.
Then we are promised no more foreign adventures in lands such as Iraq trying to deliver democracy to people who have not even evolved past the tribal system of governance followed almost immediately by a foreign adventure in Libya who are even less along the path to modernity than the Iraqi's.
It's a hybrid Alice in Wonderland foreign policy and whack-a-mole. God knows what horrors lie ahead.
I think the Euros thought they would get the ball rolling, and Unca Suga would come roaring in. It's beginning to look like a miscalculation.
ReplyDeleteAs I've stated before, I think all Western Governments have a hard time recognizing "Tribal" people when they're looking straight at them.
I don't think the Brits, French, or Italians recognized the amount of support Ghadaffi would get from his own tribe (the biggest tribe in Libya, by the way.)
Please or offend, I couldn't careless about Libya and their civil war, it's none of our business. Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, was a loyal supporter of US interests for 30 years, Obama and many right wing bloggers backed the protesters’ demands for him to stand down.
ReplyDeleteThis week, Egypt’s interim government said that it wanted to restore diplomatic relations with Iran, after a breach lasting 30 years.
Arab nations have many shortcomings, but they are good at spotting a winning horse!
Alice in Wonderland is apt except it is Alice in Orwelia.
According to US Government and MSM Orwellian speak, the civilians killed by us in Libyan loyalist held area are soldiers in disguise and the civilians killed by us in rebel held areas are unfortunate accidents which we strived hard to avoid. But, the armed gunmen killed by Libyan loyalists are civilians. And the real civilians killed by Libyan loyalists are "deliberately" targeted even though it was because we have destroyed the accurate weapons of Libyan loyalists from the air.
Get it.
Nations deserve the leaders they get!
Get out-Stay-Out
Out-Out
You are a smart old grunt Rufo.
ReplyDeleteHow would we understand the concept of "my tribe" when the mere mention of it has the whiff of "racism"? Our strength lies in our diversity.
ReplyDeleteAh, let's face it, FB. It's a complicated world. We'll all get one right every now, and then; but no one gets'em 'all' right.
ReplyDeleteChief of Staff of the Army, Gen. George W. Casey, responding to David Gregory about an army major who walked around in white robes Allaakbarring all the way, killed 11 wounded 30 others in a bloody slaughtering rampage at Fort Hood:
ReplyDeleteYeah. I think those concerns are real and I, and I will tell you, David, that they're, they're fueled partially, at least, by the speculation about--based on anecdotal evidence that people are presenting. I think we have to be very careful with that. Our diversity not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse.
Our diversity is more important than the safety of our troops. Talk about a disconnected motherfuker.
E1 through E6; O1's, and O2's in the Frontline Units. That's our strength.
ReplyDeleteThey are what allow us to survive Dickwads like Casey.
Those National Guard, and Reserve Battalions are pretty damned good, too. I know I've been impressed with their performance.
ReplyDeleteCan we bump that up to O-4's ?
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteuhhh, :)
ReplyDeleteYou ARE talking to an ex-enlisted, you know.
Sorry FB, She Who Has Disappeared already demoted us to a few disgruntled old ex-enlisted men, a moniker which has not been denied.
ReplyDeleteI represent that remark. I'm as "gruntled" as anyone.
ReplyDeleteObviously, you both, have not taken my attitude adjustment course. :)
ReplyDeleteUhh, thas the problem, FB. I have taken a few of them "attitude adjustment" courses. :)
ReplyDeleteUsually resulted in some "loss of pay," and a severe "Downward" adjustment in my attitude. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Brits, French, or Italians recognized the amount of support Ghadaffi would get from his own tribe (the biggest tribe in Libya, by the way.)
ReplyDeleteThat will mean Libya in two partitions, which is fine, those are natural tribal lines anyway. Just keep US forces out of it.
Thank God there was a War to escape to. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, Tribal lines would work fine, T. The good part, there, is that there is some oil on both sides of the line, I think.
ReplyDeleteThe Euros are moving forward, chartering their own course, operating in their own national interests, without US leading the way.
ReplyDeleteWhat could be better?
The Europeons have a long history of active participation in the deserts of North Africa. Nothing new in their interests along that coast.
While it would be sweet if the Colonel were deposed, there is no pressing need for it.
It seems miraculous to me that neither, Algeria, or, most especially, Nigeria has followed Libya over the edge.
ReplyDeleteIf Nigeria oil production went, that would really pucker some assholes (including mine.)
Rep. Michele Bachmann on Birther Issue: "We Have Bigger Fish to Fry"
ReplyDeleteSee why the congresswoman thinks Donald Trump should drop the birther issue!
Legitimate Constitutional eligibility for Presidential candidates is not an important issue, to the Republicans.
Just not a big enough fish.
There's a reason why Rufus lives in Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteThere was a reason why the Westboro freaks didn’t show up to protest at the funeral of Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers in Mississippi. They got their a$$ whooped a couple days before the the American hero returned home.
The Hayride reported, via FOX Nation:
A couple of days before, one of them (Westboro protestors) ran his mouth at a Brandon gas station and got his arse waxed. Police were called and the beaten man could not give much of a description of who beat him. When they canvassed the station and spoke to the large crowd that had gathered around, no one seemed to remember anything about what had happened.
Rankin County handled this thing perfectly. There were many things that were put into place that most will never know about and at great expense to the county.
Most of the morons never made it out of their hotel parking lot. It seems that certain Rankin county pickup trucks were parked directly behind any car that had Kansas plates in the hotel parking lot and the drivers mysteriously disappeared until after the funeral was over. Police were called but their wrecker service was running behind and it was going to be a few hours before they could tow the trucks so the Kansas plated cars could get out.
A few made it to the funeral but were ushered away to be questioned about a crime they might have possibly been involved in. Turns out, after a few hours of questioning, that they were not involved and they were allowed to go on about their business . . . .
Not in Rankin Co, assholes
God I'm so proud of those people. I've got tears in my eyes - for a couple of reasons. :)
that sounds a lot like how the clan used to operate rufus.
ReplyDeleteFuck you, Ash. That's how a "Community" operates.
ReplyDeleteBut, you and your draft-dodging kin wouldn't know about that, would you?
ReplyDeleteTell me if This looks like the "Clan," asshole
ReplyDeleteThose that most vociferously attack "Renewables" are, I believe, overlooking something. Wind, and Solar costs are, virtually all, Upfront. The Feedstock is free.
ReplyDeleteCoal, not so much.
Autralian Thermal Coal $130.00/ton at the port
Up 30% YOY.
Driven by China, and India, of course.
The Beat goes on.
ReplyDeleteObama OKs use of Drones in Libya
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ReplyDeleteNation’s Mood at Lowest Level in Two Years, Poll Shows
Americans are more pessimistic about the nation’s economic outlook and overall direction than they have been at any time since President Obama’s first two months in office, when the country was still officially ensnared in the Great Recession, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
At a time of rising gas prices, stubborn unemployment and a cacophonous debate in Washington over the federal government’s ability to meet its future obligations, the poll presents stark evidence that the slow, if unsteady, gains in public confidence earlier this year that a recovery was under way are now all but gone...
NY Times/CBS Poll
This polls touches on a lot of different issues, Obama's performance, Ryan's budget plan, the Dems, etc. The main thing that comes through is the public's dissatisfaction with all the players in D.C.
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ReplyDeleteAn obvious but still interesting observation made in the story on the NYT poll above was that it all depends on how you ask the question.
And slightly more Americans approve than disapprove of a proposal by Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin to change Medicare from a program that pays doctors and hospitals directly for treating seniors to one in which the government helps seniors pay for private plans, though that support derived mostly from Republicans and independents, not Democrats. That result was at variance with that of a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll that found 65 percent opposed Mr. Ryan’s plan, suggesting results can vary based on how the question is asked.
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ReplyDeleteTwice as many respondents said they would rather see a reduction in spending on federal programs that benefit people like them than an increase in taxes to pay for such programs.
Yet more than 6 in 10 of those surveyed said they believed Medicare was worth the costs. And, when asked directly about Medicare, respondents said they would rather see higher taxes than a reduction in its available medical services if they had to choose between the two.
Given an option between cutting military, Social Security or Medicare spending as a way to reduce the overall budget, 45 percent chose military cuts, compared with those to Social Security (17 percent) or Medicare (21 percent.)
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ReplyDeleteObama OKs use of Drones in Libya
On NBC, the analyst said they were bringing the drones in because of the fighting in Masurati where loyalist snipers hold the high ground.
Supposedly, the drones can see into buildings and take out the snipers.
Does anyone share my believe that the hope is Gadhafi will accidentally be assasinated by some errant Hellfire missile?
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Great.
ReplyDeleteDrones to Pakistan
What could go wrong?