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Gallup Polls Look at Issues
Aired December 10, 2002 - 14:43 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Time for our weekly look now at how Americans view some of the major issues facing the country.
For that, we are joined by Frank Newport of the Gallup organization. Once again, he's in Princeton, New Jersey.
Hi -- Frank.
FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP POLL: Hello, Kyra, how are you?
PHILLIPS: Very good. Good to see you.
What do you think? Have Americans changed their opinions about a possible war with Iraq?
NEWPORT: Americans are looking pretty pessimistic. We just heard President Carter, earlier today, trying to advise the Bush administration about possible catastrophic consequences if the administration isn't very wary about the possibility of war. Americans are still pretty pessimistic.
Here's the question we asked over the weekend: "Will there be war within the next year with Iraq. You can see 18 percent said definitely, but Kyra, another 56 percent said probably there. You put those two together and you've got like 3/4 of Americans who say indeed it's at least somewhat likely that there will be a war -- unfortunately.
Also the former President Carter admonished the Bush administration to pay attention to the United Nations, work with the United Nations. That's one of the most dominant things that we have found in all of our review of polling about Iraq, Kyra, is that the American public wholeheartedly agrees. Here's a recent poll from the University of Maryland, in a group there, the most recent that we have: What should the U.S. do? Invade only if the U.N. approves. Fifty-five percent of Americans chose that alternative right there. Only 28 percent said invade regardless, and 13 percent said don't invade at all. This is symptomatic of what we find, the public still saying get U.N. approval.
By the way, Kyra, Carter himself, he had one of the lowest job approval ratings of any president in recent history while he was in office, but since then, it's been redemption, I would call it. This is the track on his retrospective approval rating, and Kyra, look how it's jumped up there: By 1999 from his lows in the 40s, up to 69 percent, and even this year, 60 percent retrospective job approval ratings. So the public didn't approve of what he was doing while in office -- after all, he wasn't reelected -- remember Reagan beat him in 1980. But since then, his image has certainly come along very positively -- Kyra
PHILLIPS: A lot of shakeups in the White House with regard to the economy, president's Bush's economic team. How are Americans viewing that?
NEWPORT: Not all that great. Unfortunately, the economy still reigns as the number one problem facing the country. We just asked that question: 38 percent say the economy. We hear all this talk about Iraq, but just 20 percent say Iraq. Eighteen percent, terrorism. Then moral decline.
This is what I wanted to point out to you: It's still the economy, a major problem. We just got our latest ratings at how Americans look at the condition of the economy, and Kyra, not all that good. In November, a little uptick. This line here is the percent of Americans who say, the top line, the economy is excellent. Those are pretty miserable numbers any how. It went up to 32 percent last month. But now, just as of Sunday, back down to 25 percent.
So we are just not getting any budge in Americans' perception of the economy. And when we asked workers if it's good time to be finding a job, no is what they tell us. In fact, the number now is just 20 percent who say it's a good time to be looking for a quality job. That's the lowest on this since we've been asking this question, in over a year -- Kyra
PHILLIPS: Do Americans think that the U.S. Is winning this war against terrorism?
NEWPORT: A year ago, they sure did. Remember back in December 2001, a lot of optimism, America had moved into Afghanistan with its allies, the Taliban had been dismantled as the government there. That's what we found here, this very high number saying the U.S and its allies were winning. It's been downhill ever since. Right now, just a third say the U.S. and its allies are winning. The terrorists aren't winning, according to the public -- they didn't show it here -- but basically, about half of Americans say neither side is winning the war on terrorism -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Frank Newport, giving us a little look there at America's voice. Thanks so much, Frank.
NEWPORT: You bet.
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 December 10, 2002 - 14:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Time for our weekly look now at how Americans view some of the major issues facing the country.
For that, we are joined by Frank Newport of the Gallup organization. Once again, he's in Princeton, New Jersey.
Hi -- Frank.
FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP POLL: Hello, Kyra, how are you?
PHILLIPS: Very good. Good to see you.
What do you think? Have Americans changed their opinions about a possible war with Iraq?
NEWPORT: Americans are looking pretty pessimistic. We just heard President Carter, earlier today, trying to advise the Bush administration about possible catastrophic consequences if the administration isn't very wary about the possibility of war. Americans are still pretty pessimistic.
Here's the question we asked over the weekend: "Will there be war within the next year with Iraq. You can see 18 percent said definitely, but Kyra, another 56 percent said probably there. You put those two together and you've got like 3/4 of Americans who say indeed it's at least somewhat likely that there will be a war -- unfortunately.
Also the former President Carter admonished the Bush administration to pay attention to the United Nations, work with the United Nations. That's one of the most dominant things that we have found in all of our review of polling about Iraq, Kyra, is that the American public wholeheartedly agrees. Here's a recent poll from the University of Maryland, in a group there, the most recent that we have: What should the U.S. do? Invade only if the U.N. approves. Fifty-five percent of Americans chose that alternative right there. Only 28 percent said invade regardless, and 13 percent said don't invade at all. This is symptomatic of what we find, the public still saying get U.N. approval.
By the way, Kyra, Carter himself, he had one of the lowest job approval ratings of any president in recent history while he was in office, but since then, it's been redemption, I would call it. This is the track on his retrospective approval rating, and Kyra, look how it's jumped up there: By 1999 from his lows in the 40s, up to 69 percent, and even this year, 60 percent retrospective job approval ratings. So the public didn't approve of what he was doing while in office -- after all, he wasn't reelected -- remember Reagan beat him in 1980. But since then, his image has certainly come along very positively -- Kyra
PHILLIPS: A lot of shakeups in the White House with regard to the economy, president's Bush's economic team. How are Americans viewing that?
NEWPORT: Not all that great. Unfortunately, the economy still reigns as the number one problem facing the country. We just asked that question: 38 percent say the economy. We hear all this talk about Iraq, but just 20 percent say Iraq. Eighteen percent, terrorism. Then moral decline.
This is what I wanted to point out to you: It's still the economy, a major problem. We just got our latest ratings at how Americans look at the condition of the economy, and Kyra, not all that good. In November, a little uptick. This line here is the percent of Americans who say, the top line, the economy is excellent. Those are pretty miserable numbers any how. It went up to 32 percent last month. But now, just as of Sunday, back down to 25 percent.
So we are just not getting any budge in Americans' perception of the economy. And when we asked workers if it's good time to be finding a job, no is what they tell us. In fact, the number now is just 20 percent who say it's a good time to be looking for a quality job. That's the lowest on this since we've been asking this question, in over a year -- Kyra
PHILLIPS: Do Americans think that the U.S. Is winning this war against terrorism?
NEWPORT: A year ago, they sure did. Remember back in December 2001, a lot of optimism, America had moved into Afghanistan with its allies, the Taliban had been dismantled as the government there. That's what we found here, this very high number saying the U.S and its allies were winning. It's been downhill ever since. Right now, just a third say the U.S. and its allies are winning. The terrorists aren't winning, according to the public -- they didn't show it here -- but basically, about half of Americans say neither side is winning the war on terrorism -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Frank Newport, giving us a little look there at America's voice. Thanks so much, Frank.
NEWPORT: You bet.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
