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Progressives Stunned As 67% of Americans Support Obama’s Decision On GITMO
One of the little nuggets to be found in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll is the level of support that the American people expressed for Obama’s decision to leave GITMO open. 67% of Americans approved of leaving Guantanamo Bay open, and only 29% disapproved.
When the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll asked Americans to rank their support for some recent decisions made by President Obama the results were a little surprising. The most popular decision that Obama made was to allow offshore drilling to resume. 71% of respondents approved and only 29% disapproved. The second most popular decision Obama made was to leave GITMO open. 67% of Americans approved, and 29% disapproved. The third most popular decision was the no fly zone over Libya. 66% approved and 30% disapproved. 58% approved of Obama’s proposed domestic spending freeze.
The only recent decision that Obama has made that was unpopular with the American people was his decision to continue the war in Afghanistan. Only 39% favored Obama’s decision to continue the war, 56% were not in favor of staying in Afghanistan.
These are not the poll numbers of an unpopular or untrusted president. A large majority of Americans agreed with this president on four of his five decisions. These are not the kinds of results that endangered incumbent faces a year before he is up for reelection. The American people seem to trust Obama’s decision making and his judgment.
The real stunner here for progressives is how widely supported Obama’s decision to keep GITMO open is. Progressives including Rachel Maddow have been filleting Obama for his decision to keep the prison open for weeks, but it turns out that these critics are in the minority. It could be that these are still some pangs Bush inspired terrorism fears that are leading Americans to support GITMO, or maybe Americans are not comfortable with the idea of detainees being housed in the US? Until a pollster asks exactly these questions, we won’t know.
The data from this poll is a dose of hard reality for progressives who like to think of themselves as Obama’s base. The truth is that they are all small part of Obama’s base, and the White House is fully aware of this. There is an entire bloc of Americans who don’t follow the progressive movement but came out en mass to elect Barack Obama in 2008. These people are the Obama Democrats, and they are in many ways separate from the progressive movement.
It is not a coincidence that 29% disapproved of Obama’s decisions to resume offshore drilling, leave GITMO open, and only one point more disapproved of the no fly zone over Libya. Progressives make up anywhere from 25%-29% of Americans. According to polling, the Tea Party is supported by about 29% of America. As painful as this might be for progressives to realize, the reality is that your movement is about on par with the Tea Party in terms of support and self-described identification.
Progressives and Tea Partiers and over represented in the Internet discussion and both place a premium on purity. If one were to only read the progressive Internet discussion about Obama, you would come away thinking that he is doomed one termer, when the big picture reveals that Obama is in a good position to be reelected in 2012.
Barack Obama’s decisions on GITMO and Libya may disappoint many progressives, but they are very popular with most Americans. Progressives are not wrong to feel the way they feel, and I want GITMO closed as much as anybody, but Obama is the President of the United States and if he made decisions based on what the progressives wanted, his decisions would be unpopular with about 2/3 of the country.
When progressive bash Obama’s recent decisions are they really upset at this president, or are they upset that more Americans don’t agree with them? The reality of human nature is that is probably a bit of both.
Progressives have a right to feel the way they about Obama’s decision to leave GITMO open, but they have to face the fact that 67% of America disagrees with them.
Instead of bashing Obama maybe progressives would be better served by directing their energy towards getting more Americans to adopt their position on closing Guantanamo Bay.
Image: The Jawa Report
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22 Responses to Progressives Stunned As 67% of Americans Support Obama’s Decision On GITMO
Sarah Jones
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
That’s what needs to happen- pressure on congress re funding and changing hearts and minds at home about housing detainees here. There aren’t a lot of communities volunteering to house detainees here.
Also, I disagree with wording of poll: “Obama’s decision”. They may wish to speak to congress about that.
Fukkoffffffffff
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 3:28 am
29% of Trump’s hair is real. I don’t mean to dismean this hairloss issue, as it is a real issue, and no I’m not talking about baldness.
Look, Trunp, you got answer? No? Better get some.
Jtl
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 8:57 am
This is a ‘NOT IN MY BACKYARD RESPONSE’! Big talk about abuse and human rights of the bush prisoners but when it comes to it, they do not want to suffer the stress of having possible terrorist visitors in their area! It was really the congress that blocked the move but the President gets the credit! Okay with me –they blame him for everything that they have done to rape the American Middle Class!
Talk is cheap but when it comes down to it you have to execute the rhetoric!
The rest of the approvals are to be expected…
Nina Stratton
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
It was not Presidents Obama’s “decision” not to close Guantanamo, it was the decision of Congress, time and again:
blog.reidreport.com/2011/...
Please don’t further the widely-held perception that President Obama didn’t and doesn’t want to close Guantanamo. It’s simply not true.
Sarah Jones
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Nina, girl! Thank you. Jason was using the wording from the poll, but I am also tired of this meme every day….. Yes, he signed an ex order and yes congress would not fund it.
Jason Easley
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
You really have to understand than when working with poll data, I have to keep the terminology consistent. I wasn’t making a political point. The poll used the terminology Obama’s decision, so I, if I want to discuss the poll data and what it reflects have to stick within the specified linguistic boundaries.
Here is the question NBC News/WSJ asked, “Let me read you a number of decisions that President Obama and his administration have made in the past few months. For each tell me if you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove.”
They made the assumption that the decision on GITMO was Obama’s, not me, but I have to work with the questions as asked or the conclusions will be faulty.
Nina Stratton
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 2:03 am
I disagree, Jason. You’ve got the floor when you write an article, and you could (and still can) easily point the falsehood somewhere.
This is how Health Care Reform became “Obamacare”, being anti-abortion became “pro-life”, the inheritance tax became the “death tax”, etc…
This is a huge wedge issue for Progressives, and – in particular – the WSJ knows it. It’s a really important thing to get right. I think you should amend your article to reflect the truth.
Shiva (Moderator)
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
First, Sarah Paylin said the pres isnt allowing Offshore drilling. Did she miss the memo? Or is she impossibly inexperienced, dull and ingratiating herself to the masses? I watched on the news one day that 25 license grants had been given out in the last 30 days and then seen 2 GOP congressmen blatantly lying that no offshore drilling could happen because of Obama.
I see no reason why the Gitmo people cant be here. We wont trade with Cuba, but we can keep prisoners there Castro style?
Its not a big thing to me, but I think there isnt any reason to keep there here.
Obama needs to get us out of Afghanistan pronto tootsuite. Yesterday. Its a no win, they want us out and we are committed to spending 20 billion per year just to float their military. Free gratis. Yet I hear nothing on that from the tealings
Reynardine
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
As Congress barred either bringing the detainees on shore or trying them in the federal courts, Obama’s choice was either keeping them detained offshore indefinitely or conducting whatever tribunals were feasible under Congressional restraints. In short, it was Hobson’s choice. I do not know to what extent the detainees can appeal to the U.S. higher courts, but such an appeal would necessarily bring the case, if not the appellant, within both. Courts always have jurisdiction to determine if they have jurisdiction, even if they ultimately determine they don’t. It would be interesting to see what happens if a verdict or sentence is appealed.
I found a complete text of the purported Taibbi/ Boehner interview, which you understandably took down. I’m not a statistical/forensic linguist, but have had just enough exposure to that stuff to say that the text was hastily transcribed from audio, not composed in print. That still does not address either the authenticity, authorization, or author of the audio. If further developments develop, keep us posted.
Sarah Jones
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Will do. As for the Gitmo issue, you would think congress would be moved by Holder’s argument, “Attorney General Eric Holder today placed the blame squarely on Congress for creating conditions where the Department of Justice cannot try them in a federal court, saying their decision would gravely impact U.S. national security and counterterrorism efforts. They “tied our hands in a away that could have serious ramifications,” he said today. “In reality, I know this case in a way that members of Congress do not. Do I know better than them? Yes.”” But of course, the real issue is the point in the article – until the people change their mind, congress doesn’t want to be responsible for any possible fallout from this decision, so they refuse to fund it.
Judy
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
As a Progressive, this hurts. But, a fact is a fact.
I am ashamed of anyone who thinks indefinite detention without a trial is ok.
Yeah, I’m talking to you, 67%!
Shiva (Moderator)
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Agreed. We are a nation of laws and law. Well we were until the Koch Brothers bought the Supreme Court
Jtl
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 9:02 am
The roberts activist court allowed the kock bros to become a factor!
If congress in the 1990′s ghad not deregulated the banks and other agencies…they would not have been able to create the cash that has blown the lid off our economy!
toyotabedzrock
Apr. 6th, 2011 at 11:59 pm
This is what happens when you hide visual evidence and don’t talk about it and or hold anyone responsible.
C.L.
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 2:16 am
Progressives are always stunned when they finally look up from the few trees they ceaselessly gnaw and behold the forest spread out in front of them.
Bless their hearts. I’ll still take a progressive any day over the rabid right-wing beavers on the other side of the creek who never look up from gnawing the same old petrified trees from the Dark Ages.
April
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 4:52 am
As a Progressive I’m not defined by any of these issues. How someone feels either way is not going to determine if they are Progressive.
What’s is more important to me is Jobs, Healthcare, Education and the means to fund them by everyone paying a fair share of tax, fees and tariffs.
Besides if we want Gitmo closed then we need to get a better Congress elected in 2012. I’m getting tried of people implying that Obama can do this alone.
The whole bash Obama thing is starting to sound very Rovian to me since we actually got a lot done since he’s come into office.
Anne
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 9:11 am
These are my sentiments exactly. We need to get over the idea that one person alone can carry out an agenda. The Congress we are currently stuck with, particularly the House, should be instructive for voting in people who will carry out a progressive agenda.
Kim
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 11:15 am
so called progressives or the professional left can stick this up their pipes and smoke it. I dislike this minority of the Democratic party more than I dislike the Repugs and tea partiers combine. I wish someone would put them on a raft so that they could sail off the edge of the earth(nice fantasy if the world was flat.) can’t stand them, they need to stuff it. so glad someone finally pointed out that they are not the Democratic base.
Dan
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 11:21 am
The only significant thing I have disagreed with the President on was his decision to extend the Bush tax cuts. With Gitmo you have people who have been in captivity for the better part of ten years. If they weren’t extremists when they went in, they are now. Right or wrong, they should be kept locked up for our own good. Unamerican? Yes, but lets be real. If I was down there as soon as I got out I would be looking for payback. I do wish we were out of Afghanistan. If at all possible we should just have some special forces in there giving Predators targets. At least keep the Taliban honest. We can’t save everybody. Let’s get our guys home.
Shiva (Moderator)
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 11:27 am
I totally agree with you. Many people in Gitmo were there because they were enemies of the side in Afghanistan that we had taken up with. Not because I had anything to do with terrorism against us. And if they weren’t terrorists when they went in they most certainly are now.
On the subject of the tax cuts, I was horrified that he went along with it just to get a few extra weeks of unemployment. Not that that unemployment wasnt needed. But it seems to me that pointed president gave up a tremendous amount of revenue into this country’s treasury and started down the path of cutting everything including absolutely necessaries services for seniors and regular everyday people. This entire that thing is a fraud
Reynardine
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
There is a strange silence about the article in question. It appears to have originated on RumorMiller, a site that is part news and part Onion, and they claim to have gotten the excerpts from Rolling Stone. Matt Taibbi has apparently been silent on the issue. So has John Boehner. So have the websites I’ve seen: the left-wing ones have not acknowledged it; the right-wing ones have not denounced it as “liberal media lies” or anything else. As I said, it looks transcribed, not composed. It may well have come from someone at Rolling Stone, but could be: a. a hoax, with one person composing and another transcribing; b. a furtive transcription of hearsay; c. a furtive transcription and release of an outtake. Boehner is not stupid enough to say this when sober and in control of his temper; sometimes he is neither.
Reynardine
Apr. 7th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
The foregoing is meant to be appended to Ms. Jones’s response to my prior post. Now, Shiva, you know I can’t have the android post this for me; he’s putting Bombay Mahogany varnish on the library table, and his hands are a mess.