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CNN Live At Daybreak
What is America Really Thinking About War?
Aired March 04, 2003 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Everywhere you go, people have an opinion on the potential war with Iraq. For what America is really thinking, though, we go to our Gallup poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport.
Frank, good morning.
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Good morning to you, Carol.
I don't think we're going to see a lot of change in American attitudes about military action in Iraq until something very concrete happens. We have a lot of what if questions that we pollsters ask, but our basic trend measure, approve/disapprove the idea of U.S. military action in Iraq, stays relatively the same week after week. Our latest reading, 59 percent say yes. You can see that it's gone up and down a little bit. Not a lot of change there.
Again, there are a lot of what if contingencies. Americans would like U.N. support and so forth. But this is our basic finding and I don't think it's going to move a lot until something dramatic happens. It just hasn't been moving.
Incidentally, Bush approval, which is at the 57-58 percent rating right now, I think, has a lot to do with the economy. It's Iraq out there, but to a lot of Americans, the economy is what's really important to them. I just wanted to show you, back in May, Bush had 76 percent approval, 41 percent positive rating on the economy. Now, Bush approval down to 57. And you can see 18 percent rating on the economy.
So I think the economy is actually weighing a lot on Bush approval's drop, as opposed to Iraq.
Carol?
COSTELLO: I understand.
Hey, let's go to these other numbers that you have that are interesting.
You know, Hollywood celebrities and how they are normally anti- war protesters. Do people really, I don't know, listen to what they have to say?
NEWPORT: Well, they tell us they don't. Now, you never know whether or not Martin Sheen or Barbra Streisand or these others are going to have a dramatic effect, but people tell us that Hollywood celebrities taking those political positions really don't affect them. Just 11 percent of Americans say that, in fact, they do.
Martin Sheen very much in the news over the weekend. He said the NBC suits may be worried about his political position. We have our approval rating not on President Bartlett, but on Martin Sheen himself. Look how political it is already. If you're a Republican, just 45 percent favorable of actor Martin Sheen. If you're a Democrat, it's 67 percent.
So whatever else, we do know that Sheen doesn't do as well among Republicans. Whether that's hurting his ratings among people who are GOPers out there across the country, I can't tell you.
COSTELLO: Yes, I don't know, Frank. Interesting numbers, though.
Thanks very much.
Frank Newport from Gallup.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 4, 2003 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Everywhere you go, people have an opinion on the potential war with Iraq. For what America is really thinking, though, we go to our Gallup poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport.
Frank, good morning.
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Good morning to you, Carol.
I don't think we're going to see a lot of change in American attitudes about military action in Iraq until something very concrete happens. We have a lot of what if questions that we pollsters ask, but our basic trend measure, approve/disapprove the idea of U.S. military action in Iraq, stays relatively the same week after week. Our latest reading, 59 percent say yes. You can see that it's gone up and down a little bit. Not a lot of change there.
Again, there are a lot of what if contingencies. Americans would like U.N. support and so forth. But this is our basic finding and I don't think it's going to move a lot until something dramatic happens. It just hasn't been moving.
Incidentally, Bush approval, which is at the 57-58 percent rating right now, I think, has a lot to do with the economy. It's Iraq out there, but to a lot of Americans, the economy is what's really important to them. I just wanted to show you, back in May, Bush had 76 percent approval, 41 percent positive rating on the economy. Now, Bush approval down to 57. And you can see 18 percent rating on the economy.
So I think the economy is actually weighing a lot on Bush approval's drop, as opposed to Iraq.
Carol?
COSTELLO: I understand.
Hey, let's go to these other numbers that you have that are interesting.
You know, Hollywood celebrities and how they are normally anti- war protesters. Do people really, I don't know, listen to what they have to say?
NEWPORT: Well, they tell us they don't. Now, you never know whether or not Martin Sheen or Barbra Streisand or these others are going to have a dramatic effect, but people tell us that Hollywood celebrities taking those political positions really don't affect them. Just 11 percent of Americans say that, in fact, they do.
Martin Sheen very much in the news over the weekend. He said the NBC suits may be worried about his political position. We have our approval rating not on President Bartlett, but on Martin Sheen himself. Look how political it is already. If you're a Republican, just 45 percent favorable of actor Martin Sheen. If you're a Democrat, it's 67 percent.
So whatever else, we do know that Sheen doesn't do as well among Republicans. Whether that's hurting his ratings among people who are GOPers out there across the country, I can't tell you.
COSTELLO: Yes, I don't know, Frank. Interesting numbers, though.
Thanks very much.
Frank Newport from Gallup.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
