Poll: Most Americans Support Strikes Agains Terrorists
WASHINGTON (Allpolitics, Aug 23.) -- Three-fourths of Americans back President Clinton's decision to order missile attacks against suspected terrorist sites in Afghanistan and Sudan, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.
The poll also found that most Americans favor future attacks. But Thursday's cruise missile strikes have not given Clinton the same boost in his approval ratings that previous presidents have enjoyed after taking military action.
Clinton's approval rating now stands at 60 percent, a robust figure for a second-term president, but one which is essentially unchanged from a poll taken Monday night, immediately after his speech on the Monica Lewinsky matter.
In that poll, 62 percent of Americans approved of the way Clinton is handling his job as president.
Clinton's televised admittance Monday that he had an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky changed a few minds on the question of his impeachment, but not many.
Just three in 10 Americans now feel that Clinton should be impeached -- up 10 points since early August, but still far less than the two-thirds who oppose removing him from office.
And only a quarter believe it would be best for the country for Clinton to resign and turn the presidency over to Vice President Al Gore.
The poll results come from interviews with 872 U.S. adults on August 21 and 22. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Poll results
The United States recently launched military attacks against suspected terrorist sites in Afghanistan and Sudan. Do you approve or disapprove of those attacks?
| Approve: | 75 percent |
| Disapprove: | 18 percent |
Would you generally approve or disapprove of future attacks by the United States, using cruise missiles to attack terrorist groups or their facilities? Would you generally approve or disapprove of future attacks by the United States using ground troops to attack terrorist groups or their facilities?
| Cruise missiles: | 76 percent |
| Ground troops: | 65 percent |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as president?
| Approve: | 60 percent |
| Disapprove: | 35 percent |
Based on what you know at this point, do you think Bill Clinton should or should not be impeached and removed from office?
| Now | August 10-12 |
| Favor: | 30 percent | 20 percent |
| Oppose: | 67 percent | 76 percent |
Do you believe it would be better for the country if Bill Clinton resigned?
| Yes: | 25 percent |
| No: | 72 percent |
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