"It suggests that he's pretty much down to his core supporters out there ... and everyone else has left," says Richard Stoll, a political scientist at Rice University.
Poll: Americans fear Iran will develop, use nukes By Susan Page, USA TODAY
Americans are deeply worried about the possibility that Iran will develop nuclear weapons and use them against the USA, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds, but they also fear that the Bush administration will be "too quick" to order military action against Iran.
Nearly 7 of 10 of those surveyed over the weekend say they are concerned that the United States will move prematurely to use force, but they also seem to recognize the quandary that policymakers face. There is almost as much concern that the Bush administration won't do enough to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear arsenal. (Related item: Poll results)
"People see no easy answers ... and the limits of our power," says Richard Eichenberg, a political scientist at Tufts University who studies war and public opinion. "The Muslim world is in an uproar over the Danish cartoons (portraying the prophet Mohammed), Iran is quite vocal in challenging us, and Iraq continues to be a drip-drip-drip of daily violence."
Eichenberg says all that is eroding President Bush's standing, too. Among those polled, 55% say they lack confidence in the administration's ability to handle the situation in Iran. And Bush's approval rating has dipped to 39%, the first time below 40% since November, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The State of the Union address and a series of speeches in recent weeks have failed to bolster views of the president or his actions:
• A 55% majority say the war in Iraq was a mistake. Just 31%, a record low since the question has been asked, say the United States and its allies are winning there.
• By 50%-47%, Americans say the administration was wrong to allow wiretapping of international communications involving terrorism suspects without obtaining court warrants.
• 51% say the federal government isn't doing enough to rebuild Katrina-damaged areas.
"It suggests that he's pretty much down to his core supporters out there ... and everyone else has left," says Richard Stoll, a political scientist at Rice University.
Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary, says Bush is "focused on the priorities Americans care about most, not the weekly snapshot of polls."
Bush is "acting to make America safer by taking the fight to the terrorists and working with international partners to prevent the Iranian regime from getting nuclear weapons capability," she says.
There is little doubt among Americans about Iran's intentions. Eight of 10 predict Iran would provide a nuclear weapon to terrorists who would use it against the USA or Israel, and almost as many say the Iranian government itself would use nuclear weapons against Israel. Six of 10 say the Iranian government would deploy nuclear weapons against the USA.
More than two-thirds agree that economic and diplomatic efforts should be used now, but Americans divide 45%-45% over whether the United States should take military action if diplomacy fails.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for such peaceful uses as providing energy, but U.S. and other world leaders are skeptical. The International Atomic Energy Agency voted this month to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions. In the poll, 51% aren't confident about the U.N.'s ability to handle the Iran situation.
Asked about the Mohammed cartoons, 6 of 10 say the European newspapers that published them acted irresponsibly. By a 3-to-1 ratio, however, they blame the resulting furor on Muslims' intolerance of different points of views, not Westerners' lack of respect for Islam.
By 57%-33%, they say the American media have an obligation to show controversial items that are newsworthy even if they offend the religious views of some people. |
