by Mark Silva
As Barack Obama and John McCain prepare to debate their views of the world and America's role in it tonight, voters are voicing wariness about the sort of foreign policy that the United States has pursued for several years now.
The public is feeling "much better about how the war in Iraq is going these days,'' the Pew Research Center reports, "but at the same time has a sharply diminished appetite for U.S. efforts to deal with an array of global problems.
"Fewer people than at any point in this decade assign high priority to such foreign policy goals as preventing genocide, strengthening the United Nations, promoting and defending human rights, and reducing the global spread of AIDS and other infectious diseases,'' Pew reports of a poll released this week.
"There also is decreased support for an assertive national security policy,'' the survey found. "Fully 45 percent say that reducing U.S. overseas military commitments should be a top policy priority, up 10 points since 2004. Notably, even the goal of halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - a widely shared objective for nearly two decades - is now viewed as less important.''
Nearly six-in-ten Americans (58 percent) say the U.S. military effort in Iraq is going well, the highest percentage in more than four years.
"Yet improving perceptions about the situation in Iraq have done little to increase support for maintaining U.S. troops there,'' Pew reports. " Half of the public views the war as the wrong decision, while the same percentage favors withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as possible; these figures have declined only modestly in recent months.
"By contrast, there is strong public support for maintaining U.S. forces in Afghanistan - a notable exception to the broader trend against global engagement.
McCain's "consistent advantage'' over Obama on foreign policy and national security "may be limited to some extent by the public's focus on domestic issues,'[ Pew notes. "While swing voters say McCain could best deal with foreign policy by a 52 percent to 25 percent margin, they along with most Americans believe that the next president should focus on domestic issues rather than foreign policy. ''
The survey on foreign policy attitudes by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press was conducted in collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations.
The survey of 2,982 adults was conducted Sept. 9-14. For more on the poll of American views on foreign policy , see the Pew Research Center's report.
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Comments
Half of the public views the war as the wrong decision, while the same percentage favors withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as possible; these figures have declined only modestly in recent months.
I don't think this is such a cake walk as the republicans would have you believe for McBush. Iraq was a huge mistake...and McBush was all for it and said it would be short and no house to house fighting. Spot on John.
Posted by: bill r. | September 26, 2008 4:35 PM
We've been seeking Presidential focus since 2000 -- haven't gotten any yet. Good luck!
Posted by: Op109 | September 26, 2008 4:39 PM
We've been seeking Presidential focus unsuccessfully since Bush took office. Good luck with that.
Posted by: Op109 | September 26, 2008 4:40 PM
The whole point of the surge was to give the Iraq Government time to work out a political compromise between the Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds.
It hasn't happened yet.
We are sinking $10 billion dollars a month into that rat hole of a country while the Iraqi Government is sitting on over $80 billion dollars in oil revenue.
And the deluded among us want more of the same and Caribou Barbie too?
That is absolutely insane.
Speaking of Caribou Barbie. Check out this video of her dazzling Katie Couric with her knowledge of foreign policy and the English language:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzj8B5Z4iP8
Posted by: Doug Zook | September 26, 2008 5:08 PM
I just heard that the debate is going to be set up a bit different than usual. They said that the two candidates were going to be able to address eachother back and forth more than regular debates....seems like that will slow the flow of info more, and enable there to be lots more mud slinging.
I would rather see them seperated and and do a Rick Warren style debate. The Katie Couric questions were set up the same way, where neither knew how the other responded, they were out there on their own and Warren got thru a lot more questions than usual.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW PETA IDEA....don't drink cow milk, instead....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26892950/wid/11915773?GT1=31037
Posted by: How about a vat of mud and swimsuits ha | September 26, 2008 5:09 PM
So many Americans forget,espically Obama and crew, fighting in the Middle East saved blood on American Soil-
Posted by: George | September 26, 2008 5:19 PM
So many Americans forget,espically Obama and crew, fighting in the Middle East saved blood on American Soil-
Posted by: George | September 26, 2008 5:19 PM
Our Cowboy-in-Chief not only got a whole lot of people killed for no good reason, he also created the world's largest terrorist recruiting and training ground.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban and Al Queda are on the rebound. Osama bin Laden (you've heard of him?) still hasn't been caught or killed.
U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan have asked for more troops, but can't have them, because they're in Iraq.
And you want Four More McSame and Caribou Barbie too?
Posted by: Doug Zook | September 26, 2008 5:41 PM
Obama needs to remind voters that the recent "success" in Iraq hasn't been "complete success," number one; and number two, it hasn't all been about the "Surge."
The recent "success" hasn't been complete because the Sunnis and the Shia still have not reached political compromise, which is the key to holding Iraq together in the long run.
And it hasn't all been about the "Surge," as Bob Woodward noted in his most recent book. As I stated LONG AGO and as often as I could, real long-term success in Iraq was going to be predicated on the U.S. siding with the Sunni and letting the Shia know that the U.S. would not tolerate a policy of retaliation. I believe Patraeus himself came to this understanding which eventually facilitated the quelling of violence.
But that cessation will not stand if the Shia are not reminded firmly and often that the U.S. will not standby as the Shia seek vengence for the Saddam years.
Posted by: Jorge from Bloomington | September 26, 2008 5:43 PM
The Liberty Bell Rang for Liberty and Equality - Does Obama? It is hard to tell given the media’s role in obfuscating his life.
http://zachjonesishome.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/obama-the-liberty-bell-rang-for-liberty-and-equality-larry-sinclair/
Posted by: ZachJonesIsHome | September 26, 2008 6:38 PM
Where is American outrage over that August 21 attack that killed innocent Afghani women and children? The attack that was initially spun as an attack on Taliban insurgents, but as the pictures and witnesses came out turned out to be a debacle headed by....guess who
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/09/10/ollie-north-and-that-afghan-airstrike/
Posted by: DD | September 26, 2008 9:35 PM
He kicked McSames b..t!
http://www.boppoll.com
Obama'08
Posted by: Obama Nation Now! | September 26, 2008 11:55 PM