A SERIOUS question for those who think George Bush should lead by what the polls say.???

Question

OK, many Liberals on here say that, since 70% of Americans say that we should leave Iraq, we should leave Iraq. George Bush should listen to the American people and end the war, because the people, through polls, have spoken.

But I have two questions for those people.

1. There is a chance that the poll is wrong. Unless they ask EVERY PERSON in America, they cannot be SURE that the poll is right. After all, a random sample is a GREAT indication of America, but if you know anything about statistics, you would know that there is a chance, however small, that more than 50% of America agrees with the war, even if the polls say otherwise. If you do not agree, then you do not know what the polls are, and you need to go home to mommy.

The second, and MUCH MORE IMPORTANT question is this: What did Presidents do before the had polls? A hundred years ago, two hundred years ago, when they had NO IDEA what the American majority thought? They did what they thought WAS RIGHT!

100 years ago, George Bush would have had no problem in thinking that the majority of Americans supported the war, because he wouldn't have known otherwise. So, unless we bring the war up to a national vote, and the vote turns out negative, shouldn't we let him finish what we elected him to finish?

Answer 1

First, and foremost, I'd question the educational level of those participating in the polls prior to putting ANY weight in their opinions!

Secondly, I'd question where the participants of the polls obtained their military background to determine their qualifications were better than the generals and admirals who are attempting to do the right thing despite political interference from the general public.

It's my humble opinion that too many feel their overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express qualifies them as experts in all political and military endeavors.

Answer 2

Despite what that first troll wrote, I always find your questions to be serious inquiries

1. I don't believe that the polls say 70% of Americans want us out of Iraq. that's Democrat propaganda and nothing more. I do believe that some want us out but I also think that a number of Americans want us to be doing something different from what we have been doing, me included. I think the "war" has been mismanaged up to now but I also think that Petraeus may be the guy to turn it around. I believe that some of the more simple-minded have translated that into 70% want us out when that's not true at all.

2. No one should be governing by polls. We elect our leaders to LEAD and to make the hard decisions. Some of us are going to disagree with some of the decisions, some of the time but despite what the libs claim, this isn't a true democracy because true democracies don't work, they're way too complicated (see communism). This is a REPUBLIC and that's why I'm a REPUBLICAN. We have elected a leader and he gets to make the hard decisions until we elect the next one.

3. Leaders in the past ignored polls, with maybe the exception of Clinton and Carter and look at what those two accomplished; NOTHING.

Answer 3

I agree, however even if everyone was polled and a majority wanted out of the war the president is not obligated to oblige. It is the job of the president to act in the best interest of the nation regardless of whether or not it is popular. The president is NOT a representative and neither should he be. Many times in American history the president has had to make unpopular decisions, Truman for instance dropped the bomb on Japan. Does anyone think that would have passed a vote. It is the duty of a president to remove emotion from a decision and try to do what they feel is right. Emotion is left for Congress, which has the authority to keep the president in check. Only time will tell if they are good decisions.

Answer 4

You've made a really good point!! It's true, polls generally ask about a thousand people and they usually get those people they can pretty much rely on to go whichever direction they want the results to go, it's hard to believe people are ignorant to this! I agree, let the president finish what he started, he knows what he's doing!

Answer 5

It doesn't matter what the polls say, because they only reflect what the mainstream media has done to this country.

You can't turn on CNN without hearing "this unpopular war" "this war sure is unpopular" "we are really struggling" "it's clear this can't be won". What do you expect?

Before they had polls, they had something called leadership.

Answer 6

100 years ago we also wouldnt have had a liberal media constantly advocating our defeat spreading their propaganda to influence these biasly asked polls to begin with.

If Bush is so unpopular and the war so unjust, why was he re-elected??????? Because most people want to WIN, not lose.

Answer 7

According to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, 61% of Americans oppose “denying the funding needed to send any additional U.S. troops to Iraq,” and opposition is up from 58% in February. (3/23-25, 2007).
A Bloomberg poll reveals 61% of Americans believe withholding funding for the war is a bad idea, while only 28% believe it is a good idea (3/3-11, 2007).
A recent Public Opinion Strategies (POS) poll found that 56% of registered voters favor fully funding the war in Iraq, with more voters strongly favoring funding (40%) than totally opposing it (38%); (3/25-27, 2007).
POS found also that a majority of voters (54%) oppose the Democrats imposing a reduction in troops below the level military commanders requested (3/25-27, 2007).
A separate POS poll finds 57% of voters support staying in Iraq until the job is finished and “the Iraqi government can maintain control and provide security for its people.” And 59% of voters say pulling out of Iraq immediately would do more to harm America’s reputation in the world than staying until order is restored (35%); (2/5-7, 2007).
A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll show 69% of American voters trust military commanders more than members of Congress (18%) to decide when United States troops should leave Iraq. This includes 52% of Democrats, 69% of Independents and 88% of Republicans (3/27-28, 2007).
According to a recent Pew Research survey, only 17% of Americans want an immediate withdrawal of troops (4/18-22, 2007). That same poll found a plurality of adults (45%) believe a terrorist attack against the United States is more likely if we withdraw our troops from Iraq while the “country remains unstable.”
Should a date for withdrawal be set, 70% of American believe it is likely that “insurgents will increase their attacks in Iraq” starting on that day. This is supported by 85% of Republicans, 71% of Independents and 60% of Democrats. (FOX News/Opinion Dynamics, 4/17-18, 2007).
A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg polls reveals that 50% of Americans say setting a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq “hurts” the troops, while only 27% believe it “helps” the troops (4/5-9, 2007).

Answer 8

1- Its obvious the true sentiment in this country reflects the polls.

2- Bush is obviously not listening TO those polls, so what do you care. We will stay in Iraq until at least 2009.

Answer 9

I think you need to better understand the science of statistics to firm up your grasp of the subject. In the past, politicians would rely heavily upon the ballot box, and, the media, to understand the world around them. In this sense, Republicans were given a resounding YOU SCREWED UP this past election.

Answer 10

i agree with you...polls can't be trusted...polls have too many ways of being manipulated to be counted on as accurate...but liberals always like to listen to what they want to hear...if it isn't what they want to hear they don't listen at all...