Washington Post-ABC News Polling on Iraq War
Released April 18, 2008

"Views on the Iraq war have also turned more negative, with six in 10 now rejecting the notion that the United States needs to win there to effectively battle terrorism . . . And for the first time since President Bush ordered additional troops to Iraq early last year, the number of Americans saying the United States is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order there has risen. Negative views of the war had eased steadily from late 2006 through early March of this year, but 57 percent in the new poll said efforts in Iraq have stalled, up six points"

Conducted: April 10-13, 2008; Sample: 1,197 adults; Margin of error: plus or minus three percentage points

Analysis available here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR200804...

Full data: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/postpoll_041408....

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?

Approve: 33%
Strongly: 16%
Somewhat: 17%

Disapprove: 64%
Somewhat: 15%
Strongly: 49%

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq?

Approve: 33% (same as 2/1/08)
Disapprove: 65% (same as 2/1/08)

3. Thinking ahead to the November presidential election, what is the single most important issue in your choice for president?

Economy/Jobs: 41%
Iraq/War in Iraq: 18%
Health care: 7%
Terrorism/National security: 5%

4. All in all, considering the costs to the United States versus the benefits to the United States, do you think the war with Iraq was worth fighting, or not? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?

Worth fighting: 34%
Not worth fighting: 64%

5. Do you think the United States is or is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq?

Is making significant progress: 40%
Is not making significant progress: 57%
No opinion: 3%

(lowest opinion on progress since 11/1/08 by a slight margin)

6. Do you think (the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored there, even if that means continued U.S. military casualties); OR, do you think (the United States should withdraw its military forces from Iraq in order to avoid further U.S. military casualties, even if that means civil order is not restored there)?

Keep forces: 41%
Withdraw forces: 56%
No opinion: 3%

7. Do you think (the United States must win the war in Iraq in order for the broader war on terrorism to be a success), or do you think (the war on terrorism can be a success without the United States winning the war in Iraq?)

Must win: 31% (down 6 points since 4/07; 6/07; 9/07; down 14 since 1/07)
Success without Iraq: 61%
No opinion: 8%

8. Thinking ahead to the next presidential election, do you think a (Democratic) or a (Republican) president would do a better job resolving the situation in Iraq?

Democrat: 52%
Republican: 35%
Depends: 2%
No difference: 7%
No opinion: 4%