49% Say Victory in Iraq Likely if McCain Elected

[GaryC 7]

49% Say Victory in Iraq Likely if McCain Elected

rasmussenreports.com 1 hour, 58 minutes ago

If John McCain is elected President, 49% of voters say it is at least somewhat likely that the United States will win the War in Iraq. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 20% believe victory in Iraq is likely if Barack Obama is elected in November.

However, the survey also found that voters believe Obama is more likely than McCain to bring home U.S. troops from Iraq. If Obama is elected, 59% say it is at least somewhat likely that virtually all combat troops will come home from Iraq during his first term. Just 43% believe the troops are that likely to come home if McCain is elected.

Most Americans--52%--say bringing the troops home within four years is a higher priority than winning the War. Thirty-nine percent (39%) disagree and say winning the War is more important. Men, by a 51% to 44% margin, say it is more important to win the War. Women, by a two-to-one margin, say it is more important to get the troops home.

Those who believe that winning the War is more important have a high degree of confidence that McCain can achieve that goal--84% believe that victory is at least somewhat likely if McCain is elected.

Among those who believe that getting the troops home is the top priority, there is a bit less confidence--67% believe that if Obama is elected the troops will be home within four years.

Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Democrats say it is more important to get the troops home while 72% of Republicans say it is more important to win the War. Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided--47% say bringing home the troops is the top priority while 42% say victory is more important.

Unaffiliated voters are also evenly divided as to the prospects for victory if McCain is elected--46% of unaffiliated voters say victory is likely while 45% say it is not. If Obama is elected, 15% of unaffiliated voters say victory is likely while 77% disagree.

Among unaffiliated voters, the expectations gap is smaller on the question of getting troops home. Fifty-four percent (54%) say it's likely that an Obama victory in November will get the troops home within four years. Forty-two percent (42%) say that result is likely if McCain wins.

Conservatives, by a 67% to 26% margin, say victory is more important. Liberals, by an 80% to 11% margin, hold the opposite view.

Just 33% of voters under 30 consider victory the top priority. While older voters are more likely to see victory as important, a plurality or majority of every age bracket believes that getting the troops home is the more important objective.

Tracking polls by Rasmussen Reports routinely show that six-out-of-ten voters want troops home from Iraq within a year. Roughly one-out-of-four want the troops brought home immediately and one-third want the troops to remain until the mission is complete. During Election 2008, the two presidential campaigns will focus their energies on the middle group, those who want the troops to come home but aren't calling for an immediate withdrawal. These voters represent slightly under 40% of the nation's voters.

In the race for the White House, Obama and McCain are essentially tied at this time according to the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

The national telephone survey of 1,200 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports, May 16-18, 2008. Margin of sampling error is +/-3 with a 95% level of confidence. Methodology.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/rasmussen/20080519...0lMbipOELBsnwcF

[Dan J 277]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago? Victory can mean many things when you havent really defined the objectives.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago?

Indeed.

[GaryC 7]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago?

Indeed.

The same old tired BS. As everyone knows that sign was referring to the ships mission. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good slam.

[GaryC 7]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago? Victory can mean many things when you havent really defined the objectives.

You know the objectives. They are the same as they have been for 5 years. A stable democracy with a government that can protect itself from the outside forces that seek to take it over. But you don't care about that, you only want a political issue to hammer Bush with right?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago?

Indeed.

The same old tired BS. As everyone knows that sign was referring to the ships mission. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good slam.

No, Gary. As everyone knows, that was the spin they tried to put on it later as it turned out to have been the biggest embarrassment W has gotten himself into. The Mission Accomplished sign hung over W as he started his speech with these words:

Thank you all very much. Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20...0030501-15.html

[HAL 9000 96]

Most definitely... we reap what we sow. In this case, some of us are gullible enough to believe what we're told to believe, even if it contradicts what is plainly in front of everyone.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago?

Indeed.

The same old tired BS. As everyone knows that sign was referring to the ships mission. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good slam.

No, Gary. As everyone knows, that was the spin they tried to put on it later as it turned out to have been the biggest embarrassment W has gotten himself into. The Mission Accomplished sign hung over W as he started his speech with these words:

Thank you all very much. Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20...0030501-15.html

I guess it makes sense if you buy the idea that GW was only talking about "Phase 1".

It stands to reason that whatever the intent behind this particular message - the reality of today doesn't bear out those words.

[HAL 9000 96]

Its all good 6... remember... its always been about protecting the democratic rights or Iraqis... ho-hum!!!

[DerekJ 0]

Didn't we win already 5 years ago? Victory can mean many things when you havent really defined the objectives.

You know the objectives. They are the same as they have been for 5 years. A stable democracy with a government that can protect itself from the outside forces that seek to take it over. But you don't care about that, you only want a political issue to hammer Bush with right?

Victory, victory, victory....That's right, our worth as Americans is dependent upon whether we "win" or not. For some, we're too proud to say, "We f**ked up." News flash: we already have egg on our faces from George's Excellent Adventure. There is no way you can pretend that this was about protecting the Iraqi people. Under normal circumstances, we would be able to get some assistance from the international community in stabilizing what we broke. Unfortunately, we are largely on our own with this one. Nice job.

Edited May 19, 2008 by DerekJ

[alienlovechild 75]

Anyone in uniform when Clinton promised a one year mission for American troops in Bosnia in 1995? Thirteen years we're later they're still there. Clinton said something like mission accomplished because he changed the mission name for next year so it wasn't the same mission, clever.

It's forgotten now but Bush's statement seemed accurate in May, 2003. That's why Senator Clinton among others claimed victory. That's also the reason Kerry never had a clear policy on Iraq when he ran in 2004 for president.

How soon we forget!

Now, we have other interesting statements from Senator Obama:

-Invade Pakistan to get Bin Laden

-Meet the Iranian president without preconditions.

-10,000 people died of a tornado in Kansas and Bush did nothing.

The last one is somewhat off-topic but it was funny because the Obama worshippers clapped and yelled because they were equally clueless.

[HAL 9000 96]

Anyone in uniform when Clinton promised a one year mission for American troops in Bosnia in 1995? Thirteen years we're later they're still there. Clinton said something like mission accomplished because he changed the mission name for next year so it wasn't the same mission, clever.

It's forgotten now but Bush's statement seemed accurate in May, 2003. That's why Senator Clinton among others claimed victory. That's also the reason Kerry never had a clear policy on Iraq when he ran in 2004 for president.

How soon we forget!

Now, we have other interesting statements from Senator Obama:

-Invade Pakistan to get Bin Laden

-Meet the Iranian president without preconditions.

-10,000 people died of a tornado in Kansas and Bush did nothing.

The last one is somewhat off-topic but it was funny because the Obama worshippers clapped and yelled because they were equally clueless.

We are in Bosnia now in the same capacity we were back in 1995? Must be news to all of us here.

I think if we want to take comments out of context we should at least explain the context we took them out of, no?

[GaryC 7]

Most definitely... we reap what we sow. In this case, some of us are gullible enough to believe what we're told to believe, even if it contradicts what is plainly in front of everyone.

Like the fact that we are getting colder?

[Ban Hammer 12,837]

Anyone in uniform when Clinton promised a one year mission for American troops in Bosnia in 1995? Thirteen years we're later they're still there.

yup, i remember when that was starting up, i was in turkey in '96 on opc.

-10,000 people died of a tornado in Kansas and Bush did nothing.

when was this? i don't recall hearing about 10k people dying in kansas and i live here.

[AlHayatZween 2]

it has been an unjust war, waged on false pretenses and lies from the very beginning. the whole world recognized it as such, except for a misled and deceived majority of the American public.

what would it even mean to "win" this war? at what cost? $12 billion a month is crippling our economy, while oil prices surge, and at home and abroad people are losing (or have already) lost confidence in the US as a stable, wealthy superpower. not to mention the fact that American young men and women are dying over there, and really for what? because they were lied to? because they thought they were doing the right thing when they enlisted? how many of them have come home hurt and disillusioned with our government and our practices?

i just don't even know what "win" means...