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CNN Live At Daybreak
Voices of America: Pulse of the People
Aired March 18, 2003 - 06:44 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: The public is weighing in on President Bush's ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport is here to tell us what people are saying across the country.
Good morning to you, Frank, give us the numbers.
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Good morning, Carol.
Indeed, we were out last night after the president's speech to the nation, asking a random sample of Americans how they reacted. As we anticipated, support is there. Support is positive for what the president said. We may be seeing the beginnings of a rally effect where Americans traditionally support their commander-in-chief when there is international conflict like we are anticipating.
Here's the basic number, 66 percent of Americans say they approve of Bush's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, 48 hours to get out of Iraq or military action. We can follow through and ask Americans do you think that the United States will be successful in removing Saddam Hussein from power? All of our polling showing this, 80 percent of Americans think yes, the U.S. military will be successful. Really been no question in American's mind about that as long as we've been polling.
The president asserted that this was necessary to make the U.S. and other countries safer. There is support for that, but not as strong as we might anticipate. Just a little over half, 53 percent of Americans said they felt that if Saddam Hussein is removed, war against Iraq, the United States would be safer, 38 percent say less safe.
One last point here, Carol, we gave Americans a list of adjectives and said now that war is nigh, that is we have impending, almost inevitable war, how do you feel? The one Americans agreed with most out of the four, you can see them here, is not shocking, worried. We've got 70 percent of Americans who agreed with us, at least last night, that that describes their feelings right now. And that's not a great surprise with war about to begin, I would say -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You would say and that would be right. Frank Newport from the Gallup Poll, many thanks to you this morning.
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 18, 2003 - 06:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The public is weighing in on President Bush's ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport is here to tell us what people are saying across the country.
Good morning to you, Frank, give us the numbers.
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Good morning, Carol.
Indeed, we were out last night after the president's speech to the nation, asking a random sample of Americans how they reacted. As we anticipated, support is there. Support is positive for what the president said. We may be seeing the beginnings of a rally effect where Americans traditionally support their commander-in-chief when there is international conflict like we are anticipating.
Here's the basic number, 66 percent of Americans say they approve of Bush's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, 48 hours to get out of Iraq or military action. We can follow through and ask Americans do you think that the United States will be successful in removing Saddam Hussein from power? All of our polling showing this, 80 percent of Americans think yes, the U.S. military will be successful. Really been no question in American's mind about that as long as we've been polling.
The president asserted that this was necessary to make the U.S. and other countries safer. There is support for that, but not as strong as we might anticipate. Just a little over half, 53 percent of Americans said they felt that if Saddam Hussein is removed, war against Iraq, the United States would be safer, 38 percent say less safe.
One last point here, Carol, we gave Americans a list of adjectives and said now that war is nigh, that is we have impending, almost inevitable war, how do you feel? The one Americans agreed with most out of the four, you can see them here, is not shocking, worried. We've got 70 percent of Americans who agreed with us, at least last night, that that describes their feelings right now. And that's not a great surprise with war about to begin, I would say -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You would say and that would be right. Frank Newport from the Gallup Poll, many thanks to you this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
