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Gallup Poll Analysis With Frank Newport

Aired July 01, 2003 - 15:05   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Question now: Do Americans think the war in Iraq was worth it? Let's ask Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport, who joins us now.
Frank, based on the latest poll, what are they saying? Was it worth it?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP: Well, the percent who say it was worth it, Judy, is kind of like a bell-shaped curve. It was in the 50s in January, it went all the way up to 76 percent in the middle of the war and now it's back down to 56 percent. Clearly coming back down. Four out of 10 Americans now say it was not worth it.

Interestingly, I want to show you this, Judy. We asked Americans to tell us in their words why they either thought it was worth it or not. And just like Suzanne told us that the Bush administration not mentioning weapons of mass destruction, that 56 percent of Americans who say it was worth it -- when we ask why, they don't mention the weapons either. What they're telling is -- these were Americans -- they say it was worth it because it stopped a threat to the U.S. national security because it removed Saddam Hussein, because it stopped oppression, stopped terrorism.

And finally down here, just 8 percent said it would stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. That's a very low number.

Those who say the war was not worth it, Judy -- that's 42 percent -- they do mention weapons. In fact, that's the No. 1 reason they give for saying it wasn't worth it -- that is, the war wasn't worth it. These are the people who say that -- 24 percent mention weapons explicitly, another 24 percent say nothing's resolved. And then you can see the other reasons given, all the way down to those who are simply opposed to war for saying it wasn't worth it.

But, Judy, the American public in a way reflecting the administration here. Weapons a big issue for those who are opposed to the war. We don't hear much about it from Americans who favor the war.

WOODRUFF: Now Frank, what about Americans' overall involvement, ongoing involvement in Iraq? Is this affecting the president's approval rating?

NEWPORT: Well, his approval rating is sliding down. It's at 61 percent, was 71 percent as the war began. But this is fairly predictable, Judy. We've been watching approval ratings since Franklin Roosevelt. Sixty-one percent, still fairly robust in a bad economy. So we're not sure if this gradual slide is due to -- anything to do with Iraq or just kind of a natural movement down from the rally effect that we saw that pushes the approval ratings up.

Couple of things about where Bush does well and doesn't do well. He's still getting a lot of credit from the American public for being a strong and decisive leader. Three-quarters will tell us that that describes President George W. Bush. Some of the other dimensions that we just tested, he doesn't do quite as well, particularly down at the bottom, Judy -- has a clear plan for the problems affecting the U.S Just half of Americans say yes to that. This bottom one down here reflects a lot of politics. Democrats say no, Republicans yes -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, yep, we know about politics. It can have an effect on these things. OK. Frank Newport, good to see you. Thanks a lot.

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 July 1, 2003 - 15:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Question now: Do Americans think the war in Iraq was worth it? Let's ask Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport, who joins us now.
Frank, based on the latest poll, what are they saying? Was it worth it?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP: Well, the percent who say it was worth it, Judy, is kind of like a bell-shaped curve. It was in the 50s in January, it went all the way up to 76 percent in the middle of the war and now it's back down to 56 percent. Clearly coming back down. Four out of 10 Americans now say it was not worth it.

Interestingly, I want to show you this, Judy. We asked Americans to tell us in their words why they either thought it was worth it or not. And just like Suzanne told us that the Bush administration not mentioning weapons of mass destruction, that 56 percent of Americans who say it was worth it -- when we ask why, they don't mention the weapons either. What they're telling is -- these were Americans -- they say it was worth it because it stopped a threat to the U.S. national security because it removed Saddam Hussein, because it stopped oppression, stopped terrorism.

And finally down here, just 8 percent said it would stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. That's a very low number.

Those who say the war was not worth it, Judy -- that's 42 percent -- they do mention weapons. In fact, that's the No. 1 reason they give for saying it wasn't worth it -- that is, the war wasn't worth it. These are the people who say that -- 24 percent mention weapons explicitly, another 24 percent say nothing's resolved. And then you can see the other reasons given, all the way down to those who are simply opposed to war for saying it wasn't worth it.

But, Judy, the American public in a way reflecting the administration here. Weapons a big issue for those who are opposed to the war. We don't hear much about it from Americans who favor the war.

WOODRUFF: Now Frank, what about Americans' overall involvement, ongoing involvement in Iraq? Is this affecting the president's approval rating?

NEWPORT: Well, his approval rating is sliding down. It's at 61 percent, was 71 percent as the war began. But this is fairly predictable, Judy. We've been watching approval ratings since Franklin Roosevelt. Sixty-one percent, still fairly robust in a bad economy. So we're not sure if this gradual slide is due to -- anything to do with Iraq or just kind of a natural movement down from the rally effect that we saw that pushes the approval ratings up.

Couple of things about where Bush does well and doesn't do well. He's still getting a lot of credit from the American public for being a strong and decisive leader. Three-quarters will tell us that that describes President George W. Bush. Some of the other dimensions that we just tested, he doesn't do quite as well, particularly down at the bottom, Judy -- has a clear plan for the problems affecting the U.S Just half of Americans say yes to that. This bottom one down here reflects a lot of politics. Democrats say no, Republicans yes -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, yep, we know about politics. It can have an effect on these things. OK. Frank Newport, good to see you. Thanks a lot.

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