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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's Voice: Showdown Iraq

Aired March 11, 2003 - 06:36   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: So with a war appearing more likely every day, do Americans think Iraq is truly trying to disarm, or just stalling for time?
Let's ask Gallup Poll editor-in-chief, Frank Newport. He joins us live this morning with the latest numbers.

Hi, Frank.

FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka.

Indeed, our latest polling shows the American public does not think any more likely now than they have in the past that Saddam Hussein and Iraq are disarming. In fact, we have a couple of new polls that just reported overnight, I'll show you, that show basic support for U.S. military action in Iraq is staying stable and is in majority territory.

The New York Times/CBS Poll out this morning, 66 percent support military action, the basic question they asked. ABC News Poll just out this morning, 59 percent support basic action. That 59 percent is the same number we've been finding in our CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. In fact, both polls show that at least a majority of the American public, Fredricka, is willing to move ahead with military action even if there is no second vote by the United Nations.

Here's the question in the New York Times/CBS Poll: "Go to war even if the U.N. votes against the new resolution?" Not huge support, but you can see 55 percent of Americans say yes to that idea.

So, the polling still shows the majority of the American public in favor of moving ahead provisionally with military action against Iraq -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Frank, let's shift gears just a little bit. Still talk a little bit about the president, but this time as it relates to religion. A lot has been made about President Bush's religious order, if you will. What are the polls saying about it?

NEWPORT: Well, a lot of attention being focused on George W. Bush's evangelical Protestantism, the Bush and God cover story on "Newsweek" last week.

Here's the data. Indeed, there's a strong relationship in our data between being a Republican and supporting Bush and supporting the war and religion. Among white Protestants nationally, almost half say that they are Republicans, and therefore most likely to support Bush. Catholics, that drops to 33 percent. If you have no religion in this country today, only 13 percent say they are a Republican. And black Protestants mostly Democrat; only 10 percent Republicans.

So a strong relationship between these types of religious variables and being a Republican and supporting Bush -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Frank, thanks very much -- appreciate it.

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 11, 2003 - 06:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: So with a war appearing more likely every day, do Americans think Iraq is truly trying to disarm, or just stalling for time?
Let's ask Gallup Poll editor-in-chief, Frank Newport. He joins us live this morning with the latest numbers.

Hi, Frank.

FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka.

Indeed, our latest polling shows the American public does not think any more likely now than they have in the past that Saddam Hussein and Iraq are disarming. In fact, we have a couple of new polls that just reported overnight, I'll show you, that show basic support for U.S. military action in Iraq is staying stable and is in majority territory.

The New York Times/CBS Poll out this morning, 66 percent support military action, the basic question they asked. ABC News Poll just out this morning, 59 percent support basic action. That 59 percent is the same number we've been finding in our CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. In fact, both polls show that at least a majority of the American public, Fredricka, is willing to move ahead with military action even if there is no second vote by the United Nations.

Here's the question in the New York Times/CBS Poll: "Go to war even if the U.N. votes against the new resolution?" Not huge support, but you can see 55 percent of Americans say yes to that idea.

So, the polling still shows the majority of the American public in favor of moving ahead provisionally with military action against Iraq -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Frank, let's shift gears just a little bit. Still talk a little bit about the president, but this time as it relates to religion. A lot has been made about President Bush's religious order, if you will. What are the polls saying about it?

NEWPORT: Well, a lot of attention being focused on George W. Bush's evangelical Protestantism, the Bush and God cover story on "Newsweek" last week.

Here's the data. Indeed, there's a strong relationship in our data between being a Republican and supporting Bush and supporting the war and religion. Among white Protestants nationally, almost half say that they are Republicans, and therefore most likely to support Bush. Catholics, that drops to 33 percent. If you have no religion in this country today, only 13 percent say they are a Republican. And black Protestants mostly Democrat; only 10 percent Republicans.

So a strong relationship between these types of religious variables and being a Republican and supporting Bush -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Frank, thanks very much -- appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.