New York Times/CBS News poll on Iraq
New York Times/CBS News poll
October 27-31, 2006
Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President?
34% - Approve
58% - Disapprove
Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
29% - Right
64% - Wrong
Of all the problems facing this country today, which one do you most want the new Congress to concentrate on first?
34% - War in Iraq [highest total; second is Immigration with 8%]
Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling foreign policy?
31% - Approve
58% - Disapprove
Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the situation with Iraq?
29% - Approve
64% - Disapprove
Think for a minute about issues and problems facing the COUNTRY. Which ONE would you say will be most important in your vote for U.S. SENATE?
26% - War/Iraq [highest total; second is Economy with 11%]
Which one of the following issues will matter most to you when you decide how to vote in the race for U.S. Senate: the economy and jobs, terrorism, Iraq, health care, or something else?
26% - Economy/jobs
24% - Iraq
20% - Healthcare
18% - Terrorism
9% - Something else
If the Democrats take control of Congress in November, what do you think they will try to do in Iraq —— increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, keep the same number of U.S. troops in Iraq as there are now, decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq or would the Democrats try to remove all troops from Iraq?
3% - Increase
11% - Keep same
41% - Decrease
40% - Remove all troops
If the Republicans keep control of Congress in November, what do you think they will do in Iraq — increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, keep the same number of U.S. troops in Iraq as there are now, decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq or try to remove all troops from Iraq?
29% - Increase
41% - Keep same
19% - Decrease
5% - Remove all troops
Do you want the next Congress to hold hearings to investigate the Bush Administration's handling of the war in Iraq or don't you think that it's necessary?
39% - Want hearings
59% - Not necessary
Looking back, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or should the U.S. have stayed out?
44% - Right thing
51% - Stay out
How would you say things are going for the U.S. in its efforts to bring stability and order to Iraq? Would you say things are going very well, somewhat well, somewhat badly, or very badly? 2% - Very well
28% - Somewhat well
32% - Somewhat badly
35% - Very badly
Regardless of whether you think taking military action in Iraq was the right thing to do, would you say that the U.S. is very likely to succeed in Iraq, somewhat likely to succeed, not very likely to succeed, or not at all likely to succeed in establishing a democratic government in Iraq?
10% - Very
42% - Somewhat
26% - Not very
19% - Not at all
How much longer do you think the United States troops will have to remain in Iraq — for less than a year, one to two years, two to five years, or will U.S. troops have to stay in Iraq for longer than five years?
9% - Less than a year
22% - More than 1-2 years
35% - 2-5 years
27% - 5 years
From what you have seen or heard about the situation in Iraq, what should the United States do NOW -- should the U.S. increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, keep the same number of U.S. troops in Iraq as there are now, decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, or remove all its troops from Iraq?
16% - Increase
27% - Keep same
26% - Decrease
24% - Remove all
Who do you think is currently winning the war in Iraq — the United States, or the Iraqi resistance and insurgents, or neither side?
20% - U.S.
17% - Iraq resistance
59% - Neither side
So far, do you think the George W. Bush has developed a clear plan for dealing with the situation in Iraq, or hasn't he developed one?
26% - Has developed clear plan
69% - Has not
Recently, George W. Bush said he was no longer going to use the phrase "stay the course" when he talks about strategy in Iraq. Do you think he has changed his policy about the war in Iraq, or has he only changed the language he uses to describe his policy?
15% - Changed policy
80% - Changed language
Would you favor or oppose sending more U.S. troops to Iraq, if that would help the U.S. to gain control of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and stabilize the country?
55% - Favor
37% - Oppose
Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq?
54% - Should
42% - Should not
If they are in control of Congress, which party do you think is more likely to bring U.S. troops back from Iraq more quickly — the Democratic party or the Republican party?
76% - Democratic
12% - Republican
George W. Bush has said he wants to set benchmarks for the Iraqi people to meet in their efforts to bring order and stability to Iraq. Some people say this is a good idea because it would set clear goals and measure progress in Iraq. Other people say it is a bad idea because the benchmarks will not mean anything and will put too much pressure on the Iraqis. What do you think — should George W. Bush set benchmarks for the Iraqis to meet, or not?
53% - Should
36% - Should not
Do you think the Iraqi government is or is not doing all it can realistically be expected to do in order to bring about stability in Iraq?
26% - Is
64% - Is not
If the U.S. withdrew its troops from Iraq now, then do you think the U.S. will have lost the war in Iraq, or not?
51% - Yes, will have lost
41% - No, will not have lost
Which comes closest to your view: 1. The U.S. should continue fighting the war in Iraq using the same military strategy and tactics it is using now; or 2. The U.S. should continue fighting the war in Iraq by need to change its strategy and tactics; or 3. The U.S. should remove all its troops from Iraq.
8% - Continue strategy
61% - Change strategy
27% - Should not be in Iraq
As a result of the United States' military action against Iraq, do you think the threat of terrorism against the United States has increased, decreased, or stayed about the same?
35% - Increased
18% - Decreased
46% - About the same
Poll details available at: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20061031_poll.pdf
