Rasmussen Poll: Majority Want U.S. Troops Out Of Afghanistan Within A Year

WASHINGTON -- On the same day that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that America would continue to have a military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014, a new poll finds that the majority of Americans want all U.S. troops withdrawn within one year.

The polling firm Rasmussen, whose surveys are often accused of having a decidedly conservative tilt, finds that for the first time, a majority of likely voters want the U.S. government to set a timetable to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan within one year. Within that group, 31 percent want troops to come home immediately. In September 2010, just 43 percent of likely voters wanted a one-year timeline.

This time frame is considerably more accelerated than the one set forth by President Obama. The current plan is for the U.S. military to begin withdrawing troops in July 2011 and then end combat operations in 2014. But on Monday, Gates said that both the U.S. and Afghan governments agree U.S. forces should remain in Afghanistan even after that date.

"Obviously it would be a small fraction of the presence that we have today, but I think we're willing to do that," Gates said. "My sense is, they are interested in having us do that."

Seventy-three percent of Democrats favor a one-year timeline, compared to 37 percent of Republicans. But there has been an erosion of support in both parties, with 24 percent of Republicans six months ago favoring bringing the troops home within a year.

Rasmussen also finds in the survey, which was conducted March 4-5, that 41 percent of Americans are unsure whether the U.S. mission in Afghanistan will be judged a success. Just 27 percent are sure it will be.

A USA Today/Gallup poll from February also found that 72 percent of Americans would support Congress taking up the issue of a quicker withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in December that while she understands the public's frustration, low public opinion on the war won't change the administration's policy.

"I'm well aware of the popular concern, and I understand it," she said. "But I don't think leaders -- and certainly this president will not -- make decisions that are matters of life and death and the future security of our nation based on polling. That would not be something that you will see him, or any of us, deciding."

Comments

[68Namvet]

09:04 PM on 03/10/2011

Lindsay Lohan is 24 and her story is all over the news because she's a celebrity drug addict.

While...

Justin Allen 23,
Brett Linley 29,
Matthew Weikert 29,
Justus Bartett 27,
Dave Santos 21,
Jesse Reed 26,
Matthew Johnson 21,
Zachary Fisher 24,
Brandon King 23,
Christopher Goeke 23,
Sheldon Tate 27
Are all Marines that gave their lives this week for us.

There is no media for them; not even a mention of their names.

Honor THEM!

Stop this stupid war now!

[terry63]

02:27 PM on 03/22/2011

No but there is a deep respect from other vets and Americans such as myself. A man cannot help being born and is not in control of his life. All that one can hope for in this life of troubles is to Die well. These man and women are hero's and wil forever be remembered as such. When Lindsey and Charlie are gone. they will be gone and will be held up to the world as people that wasted their lives for nothing and will be remembered as nobodys who stood for nothing but another fix.

[terry63]

02:44 PM on 03/22/2011

Many centuries ago in a far away land, there was a city state names Sparta, Sparta had two kings, one was King Leonidas, Leonidas led 300 of his personal guard followed by about 900 Other Greeks from other city states to, Thermopylae to stave of an all out assault from King Xerxes.While the other king fought against such a deployment and wanted to wait until the festivals were over and until the Gods approved. There Leonidas stood against Xerxes and 100,000 persians, Out numbered 100 to one Loenidas held off the army of Xerxes for three days.
It was a great slaughter as Loeonidas and his 300 fought every day against over wheliming odds. fighting and waiting for re-enforcements that never came. The spartans and the arcadians as well as the thesbians fought to the last man and gave greece the time to prepare for the onslaught. Now the whole world knows who Loenidas is and every male child that puts on a uniform for any army in the world knows this story. But what was the name of the other King of Sparta?

[ftkl1234]

02:20 PM on 03/10/2011

As we know, polls often come up with inadvised conclusions. I hope that there'll be token forces left there to keep the populace safe from terrorists and such.

Not to do so would be irresponsible.

[68Namvet]

07:32 PM on 03/10/2011

Right - better we stay there and kill thousands - after all - it worked so well in Iraq - and only a little over a million civilians died - well worth it to get rid of Saddam Hussein - after all - as bush (the lessor) said "he tried to kill my daddy".
more than enough reason to waste $1.3 trillion, thousands of American soldiers and a mere million Iraqi's.

Now - who can we invade next? Libya? Iran? North Korea? Somalia? Venezuela? Canada? There's got to be someone out there we can war with - it's so fun and profitable.

[CoffeeInTheMorning]

01:58 AM on 03/10/2011

Why would a "liberal" website use Rasmussen to 'get their point across' ?

[Leslie Davis]

10:14 PM on 03/09/2011

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[Bm Jain]

10:53 AM on 03/09/2011

The Obama administration's plan of a graduated withdrawal of troops’ from Afghanistan is a welcome step as the Soviet Union did in February 1989 under the April 1988 Geneva accord. But the geo-strategic scenario in Afghanistan is qualitatively different from what it was during the Soviet military presence for nearly a decade. The administration’s major concern, after the troops’ withdrawal, will be to ensure internal security and harmony, political stability and economic viability. It’s a Herculean task. Moreover, the Af-Pak relationship will be a crucial factor in determining the destiny of the Afghan people. Peace must triumph over politics and diplomacy.

[Jamiefolk45]

07:15 AM on 03/09/2011

Our government does not listen to we the people any longer. They listen to defense contractors and the generals who will be future employees of said defense contractors. This war is not about security or the safety of our country. It is about giving the largest amount of tax dollars possible to defense contractors who then filter the money back to the politicians who make the war possible. This absurd scam would be laughable if it didn't destory the lives of our troops and the people of Afganistan. The troops who survive come back with PTSD so servire they have a hard time functioning in normal society. Is this really what we want? It is time to MAKE them listen. There is a rally on March 17 in DC for Veterians for Peace. Let's stand with the brave men who were manipulated by our government and now want to do something to change things to save people who are currently serving. We owe it to them!

[Debbie McPherson]

12:18 PM on 03/09/2011

Jamie
 
Good luck with your rally....but as Hillary Clinton said ----no one is listening---and Hillary has spent her career knowing that you can run right over top of everyone else in the country and spend the country into oblivion .....what we need is a tax revolt....cut the "blood" source(money) off to the giant cancer tumor (Federal Govt War Machine)

[Jamiefolk45]

03:46 PM on 03/09/2011

Yes. That would be one way to do it no doubt. It is going to take a lot of brave people to get that done. There will be tremendous suffering because they will try to lock everyone up. That is the thing though, they can't lock everyone away. Rallies just exist for public attention but if they don't care, you have to move it to the next level. You are right!

[Golemaximus]

06:08 AM on 03/09/2011

This is hard to believe! The Republicans don't want out as proven by the last administration and nearly all their legislative members actions since the war started. The Democrats don't want out as proven by their legislative members. Obama doesn't want out as proven by his "surge" and lips service proclamations. American voters evidently don't want out as bad as the polls say as proven by their voting record on for anti war candidates (not that there were very many). Those of us who really want out of Afghanistan are either stationed here with the coalition or working as contractors to support the troops. The corruption is worse than anything you are being told and the strategic effort is a bigger failure than our government will ever admit. You the American public are being lie to and duped. Please end the war and bring these Warriors home!

[barbra1971]

12:22 AM on 03/09/2011

"But I don't think leaders -- and certainly this president will not -- make decisions that are matters of life and death and the future security of our nation based on polling. That would not be something that you will see him, or any of us, deciding."

I don't understand, what life and death? Aren't they already dying there (theirs and ours too)?

[Debbie McPherson]

12:19 PM on 03/09/2011

barbra
 
You have to realize that when Hillary talks about life and death she doesn't mean silly peasants---she means life and death to the money machine feeding the MIC....far more important that human beings...

[Pod-gers]

03:10 PM on 03/09/2011

Yes, Debbie, you are right about Hillary and the MIC, but you must do some veting of various theories out there, and get some of your facts straight.

[ThePlumber2012]

11:07 PM on 03/08/2011

I really hope they withdraw all the troops from there, well maybe leave a small base just to have it there. I don't like my money to be spent on that, unless we can get low gas prices. But if not, they use my money on something else, my business is too slow, banks are not lending out money for new construction, no one is buying homes anymore. So us people in the construction field are struggling!!

[lqw]

09:56 PM on 03/08/2011

Where are the war protesters now ?
Were they paid by the Obama campaign.

[lqw]

09:35 PM on 03/08/2011

Since AOL bought HP comments take hours to post. What's up with that ?

[Dave4ObamaSinceDay1]

11:48 PM on 03/08/2011

1 person is probably doing the work of 3... You know how these corporations are...

[lqw]

09:30 PM on 03/08/2011

Where are all the war protesters that we saw everyday on the news ? What happened ? Obama gets elected and they disappeared.

[CPNASH]

09:26 PM on 03/08/2011

Within a year?..How about sooner?.

[Donn Bryant]

08:59 PM on 03/08/2011

Must I remind you all... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoAWAYOl_Fw There are others on every subject including getting the troops home.

[Golemaximus]

07:59 PM on 03/08/2011

Those polls mean nothing to Democrats or Republicans. Neither does the waste of billions of dollars and hundreds of lives. The government lacks any coherent policy or plan on Afghanistan. Both Obama and Bush are guilty of orchestrating the destruction of our military and our economy over this debacle in Afghanistan. No ones hands are clean! We the voters have allowed this with our stupid beliefs in the government propoganda machines of both Obama and Bush. The only exception to the duplicity might be a large portion of the Warriors who are obeying orders and performing the duties they have been trained by our country to perform. Many of our Warriors are losing faith and respect for the leaders that have put them into this war. Please vote to end the wars when you pick your next candidate for anything.