For those who wanted a cite for the support for the war in the military:
Annenburg public policy center poll of military on Iraq war.
Note that this poll is almost a year old - something I didn’t realize earlier. Also note that there’s plenty of ammunition for both sides of the debate, although it’s clear that the military supports both Bush and the war in much greater numbers than does the public at large. For example:
Do you approve or disapprove of George W. Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq?
Actively serving military members: 68% approve
Their families: 55%
Note that of those who disapprove, it’s quite likely that a some percentage of them think they should have been even more aggressive. That may be reflected in this question:
Do you think the U.S. should keep military troops in Iraq until a stable government is established there, or do you think the U.S. should bring its troops home as soon as
possible?
Active duty military: 79% YES
Their familiies: 65% YES
Cindy Sheehan: NO
But of course, she’s only one who’s sacrifice entitles her to a big megaphone.
Other interesting questions:
Do you think the regular forces sent to Iraq were properly trained and equipped for service there?
Active Duty: 67% yes, 17% no
It’s an article of faith among the anti-war crowd that Bush sent the troops in with inadequate armor and supplies. But only 17% of the soldiers actually serving in the war agree.
The polls also break out the answers by rank. For example, 64% of officers serving in the war agree with Bush’s handling of the conflict. 65% think the troops were adequately trained and equipped for the mission. and 76% of the officers think the U.S. should stay in Iraq until there is a stable government.
And if you look at table C, at the time this poll was taken only 41% of the public agreed with Bush on the war, vs 63% overall for the military sample.
