GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
The Advocate (Libertarian publication)
Polls: Impeach President Bush?
Although it remains -- to say the least -- an outside possibility, the impeachment of President Bush could be on the verge of entering the national political debate.
A Zogby International Poll, released June 30, found that more than "two-in-five voters (42%) say they would favor impeachment proceedings if it is found the President misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq."
This is potential political dynamite when considered alongside a July 24 USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll showing that a slim majority -- 51 per cent -- now believes Bush *did* mislead the U.S. into the war when he claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
Even hardened pollster John Zogby was startled by the high numbers favoring impeachment if it were found that Bush misled. "It was much higher than I expected," Zogby said of the 42%.
Arguments that Bush misled the country into the war are spreading. As the Washington Post notes: "[It is] unlikely that the Republican-led House will begin [impeachment] proceedings anytime soon. But the Web sites are up and running. impeachcentral.com is running a petition drive. impeachbush.org is planning a march on Washington in September. thefourreasons.org site argues that the Iraq invasion was unconstitutional. afterdowningstreet.org asserts that Bush secretly decided to go to war and to mislead Congress in mid-2002."
Although half (50%) of those polled by Zogby currently do not support impeachment even if it is proven that Bush misled, in substantial parts of the country supporters of impeachment are actually a *majority*.
52% of respondents in the Western states favor impeachment if Bush misled; in Eastern states, 49%. On the other side, in the South impeachment is opposed by 60%; in the Central/Great Lakes region, 52% are opposed.
Impeachment views also break down by party lines. A large majority of Democrats (59%) say Bush should be impeached if he lied about Iraq. Perhaps surprisingly, fully 25% of Republicans say they would favor impeachment under these circumstances. Self-described independents are more closely divided, with 43% favoring impeachment and 49% opposed.
How does this compare to public support for the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky scandal? That impeachment actually had *less* public support. In October 1998, as the House moved to impeach, a Zogby poll found that only 39 percent of voters supported the impeachment, while 56 percent opposed it. And less than 14% of Democrats favored impeachment.
All this comes at a bad time for Bush. The June 30 Zogby poll showed Bush's job approval rating at 43 percent. And the new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll indicates a majority -- 53% -- of Americans doubts the United States will win the war in Iraq, and 58% say the United States won't be able to establish a stable, democratic government in Iraq.
Sources:
Washington Post:
washingtonpost.com
Zogby press release:
zogby.com
USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll:
usatoday.com |
