Half of the people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey say they'd support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed.
But support for a troop buildup of that size is greater than the 45 percent of the public who support the war in Afghanistan. The survey indicates that 52 percent oppose the war.
"The war is unpopular and previous polls have shown that Americans oppose sending more troops in the abstract," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But it may be a different story when Americans are confronted with an actual decision, by the Commander-in-chief, on a military matter. Previous presidents have seen a 'rally effect' - at least temporarily - when they have made command decisions like this one."
The poll's Tuesday morning release comes just hours after Obama met Monday night with his national security team on Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. This was the ninth meeting of the president's war council to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, as requested by the U.S. commander on the ground there.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama won't announce his decision on a troop deployment this week, saying that the "first possible time would be sometime next week."
Sources told CNN that one option presented to Obama calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 68,000 already committed to the country, with other options involving variations of that plan.
According to the poll, if the president decides to send a smaller number of troops than 34,000, 56 percent would oppose the move, with just over four in 10 backing the decision.
"Support for a smaller troop buildup drops most among Republicans," Holland notes. "They appear most wary of doing things by half-measures in Afghanistan."
The survey also indicates that two-thirds of Americans say things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan. That's up 11 points from March, when 55 percent said things were going bad.
People questioned in the poll were also asked about the war in Iraq. Opposition to that conflict remains high, with 62 percent saying they oppose the war. But 57 percent say sending more troops into Iraq in 2007, known as the "surge," was a success.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
From CNN Politics
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Bring the troops home!!!!! Eight years is enough. Why are we fighting in Iraq and Americans are banned from taking communion and for having their own views????? (Referring to the awful way Rep. Kennedy is being treated in his own catholic church on the abortion issue). If an American woman can't make her own decision, then why are fighting for women and men elsewhere
Only one aganist it in America seems to Barry
The ONE and ONLY reason for invading Afghanistan was to get Bin Laden and those responsible for 9/11 – and 8 years later what have we acomplished ?
Time to leave and keep our blood and our money
It shouldn't matter.
Obama should be listening to the experts – namely, the generals who have to execute battle plans.
I know there's going to be a bunch of you who come out with the typical "why don't YOU volunteer to to there then?" garbage. Well, before you do that, know this. I'm the mother of a soldier deployed in Afghanistan. While you're over here watching your kid play lacrosse or going to Goober's fillin' station with Opie, MY son is dodging IEDs.
Do what your generals say, Obama, and stop trying to govern by referrendum.
It's no wonder people will not be sure if it is a good thing or not if you just look at the record. Eight years with no progress. If we use the Iraq surge as any indication if more troops would help, it did help, but it was the Iraqis themselves that started to fight against the insurgents that had more success than more troops.
It is up to the Afghans to decide what kind of country they want and fight for it.
It's inconsistent for Obama to send more troops. He should just pull them all out and give up. He has been to Europe and Asia in a submissive stance and it doesn't fit his overall theme to make more war.
End these wasteful wars for profit! Bring our brave Troops Home! End Colonialism! These two wars are unconstitutional!
Obama has flopped on his campaign promise to end these wars.
Peace on Earth begins with me, with you we make two, and then three thus the beginning....Peace.
I appreciate the deliberation and thought process that the Prez is putting into this decision. However, like millions of other Americans, I'd prefer, ideally, to have everybody home for X-mas. See, that's a citizen's thought process on this subject, but there is so much more involved than just "pulling stakes and pulling out". The country is TIRED of war. We can't afford it. I'd rather have that money spent on MY country, schools, jobs, anything but bullets. But I'm no foreign policy expert either. I elected this President to lead and decide on our behalf. I'm totally fine with letting him make the INFORMED decision.
Lead on Barack!!
Of course we're split; is there an issue that we are not divided over? Really, come on now people; we have to support our president if we ever hope for us to succeed as a nation. Besides, if you support just sending 30,000 troops without any thought at all, are you really regarding their lives that are being sent into harms way? If you send anyone into harms way, you BETTER give it some SERIOUS thought and deliberation. It is called caring for others, something this nation is seriously lacking now. Lets change that.
If Obama increases the troop level without some kind of way to fund it, he is going to lose even more of the base, and even the war-mongering Republicans who realize we cannot afford this. If he increases troop levels at all, he loses the growing part of the Democratic Party who wants to see us DECREASING troops from all fronts. If he decreases troop levels without a plan for the region, he loses another group. This is a lose-lose situation, and I am praying he makes the choice that will cost the fewest lives and the least of our diminished treasury. No one has won in Afghanistan, and we will not be the last admit defeat there. This was not Obama's war, but he has to end it.
Who cares what Americans say. Tell 'em what they want to hear and then do something different. Obama is no different. Is 40K more Americans into the Bush war the change you voted for? Not me. Is many billions in aid to the worthless "mayor of Kabul", Hamid Karzai the change you voted for. Not me. Is giving Pakistan a "pass" as a haven for Bin Laden the change you voted for? Not me. Is the continuing stranglehold K Street maintains on executive, legislative and probably judical branches the change you voted for? Not me.
Obama is on track to be a one term president based on his deeds not his promises from some distant campaign speeches. I'm not falling for that baloney in 2012. Both parties are untrustworthy.
No matter what decision the President makes on this, not everyone's going to be happy with it. One thing is certain, though, and that is he took the utmost time and care to arrive at that decision, weighing the advice and facts carefully, and I applaud him for that. As much as i personally hate to see our troops stay there, I hate the Taliban with all my heart. If our goal is to not allow them to retake the Afghan government, then I wish we would do it, for every woman and girl in that country. Under Taliban rule, women and girls are treated worse than animals.
Here's hoping that the rabid Republicans who are for extending this war will volunteer themselves to go and be cannon fodder in what will become Obama's war if he sends more troops. Oh , and I assume he will be returning his Nobel Peace prize if this is what he decides to do.
Alexander the Great couldn't do, in more recent centuries, the British couldn't do it, the Soviets failed – why on Earth would anyone not suffering from excessive amounts of testosterone think the US, already overextended and exhausted by Bush's War, can do it.
I realize it's very Rambo, very John Wayne, very Lone Ranger do take on the impossible task and succeed – but those were movies folks. they had script writers and directors that guided the story to the pot of gold. A million bullets in a six shooter and John Wayne never coughed once as he shielded Maureen O'Hara and picked off a thousand warriors. It was fiction – don't cry in your popcorn – just a story.
We have the greatest army in the world comprised of good Americans. They have wives and children to come home to. I know the current story that plays out each time an American dies in combat. He's "a hero dying for our freedom." That may make a grieving parent or spouse feel better for a few moments as they hold the flag presented to them instead of the warm flesh they sent to war.
The chicken hawks, those who would send them, are trying to jam a 12th century society into a 21st century culture. It won't work. Like Alexander, the Brits and the Sovs, we're going to waste our blood and treasure on a fools mission.
CNN is divided over TAKING POLLS NEWS – REPORTING REAL NEWS and PORTRAYING SARAH PALIN AS WORTHY NEWS!!!
Haven't CNN learned from the 2008 Campaign that this country is DIVIDED and will always be DIVIDED until everyone is willing to come together as ONE!!!
This decision needs to be 'all in' or 'all out'. Either give our commanders what they need to win or surrender and wait for them toattack us here again. Obama is trying to vote 'present' and that doesn't work as Commander-in-Chief.
Just three questions Mr. President
1. What is the objective of the AF Conflict?
2. How will we measure progress/lack or progress with respect to the objective(s)?
3. What will be the exit criteria for success/failure?
If we implement the troop increase; it has to be paid for by all Americans. The only folks sacrificing for the defense of our country are military personnel and their families.
We simply can't afford to pay for the war effort without the participation of all Americans. You can't stand on the sidelines and shout about how important the war is to national security without contributing in some way.
If this war was really all that important to those that purport to be patriots and 'real americans', they and their children would be joining the armed forces in droves.
They aren't.
Less than 1% of 1% of the nation's military eligible youth serve in our nation's military.
Time to ante up chickenhawks. Time to put your money where your mouth is tea party'ers. My guess is that should a bill propsoing a war tax get to the house and senate floors; we'll pull out of Trashghanistan so fast your head will spin.
All this troop deployment just says one thing
DRAFT
it will happen, and it will be the middle class and the poor who will be dieing in war.
Bring our troops home, a corrupt goverment doesn't deserve hour help.
pres.obama needs to talk to India at dinner to involve in affairs in Afganistan than sending our troops from here....surrounding nations need to involve....pres. obama, do not send any troops to Afganistan...enough of Iraq war...we need to pull from there...and talk on climate change, nuclear proliferation in pakistan, india a must....Lou Dobb is exited from CNN is a good news for all...this conservative idiot, Lou Dobb, in 21st century, stand no brainer....
I absolutely support and love the brave men and women of our military. Having said that, Afghanistan is nothing short of a huge waste of American lives, money and time. The history of Afghanistan and its tribal BS alone (not to mention their most valued product – DOPE) proves those folks do not want us there nor our help. That is about as corrupt a government as you'll see anywhere in the world and all they seek is American money. This idiotic idea that America can clean up the world and play big brother is a pipe dream and totally unrealistic. Quit wasting our most precious resources and save the money for our ailing economy.
45% favor and 52% oppose. Well, there's the answer for the Pollster-in-Chief.
Though I oppose war for the sake of war, as in Bush's personal vendetta in Iraq, I would not oppose additional forces in Afghanistan IF and only IF there's a significant plan to END our occupation there. The folks in Iraq should be able to provide for themselves now - though I suspect they'll go back to a similar regime and there's nothing we can do about that - it's time to get out of Iraq!
Afghanistan a no-win situation. The Russians couldn't pull it off and they had a very short supply line. We are half way across the world. Nation Building is a Republican idea. We need to let the peoples of the world build their own country.
Tribal based countries, as are the norm in the middle east, have been at war within themselves for hundreds of years. And, as it would be in the USA, they do not appreciate outsiders coming in and telling them how to live.
My solution ..... I would tell the leaders in the middle east, and I mean all of them, that the USA is pulling out ALL its troops by the end of 2010 and not another dime will be spent on nation building.
Let the war enthusiasts in the Republican Party volunteer to join the "tribe" of their choice and pay their own way over to the middle east. I know that is way way off the wall particularly among a Party of War Starters who do not seem to be War Fighters. Example: The draft dodgers: Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and friends.
This would be further along if Bush hadn't decided to settle a score that his father had. We shouldn't have started anything in Iraq until we were fully on our way to restore a government and its services (ways to provide services and defend the people from the Talaban and Al Qeda) in Afghanistan. That is the war we should have been focusing on and not what Iraq had to do with the September attacks.
The media tried its hardest to convince us that it was pro-war McCain vs. Anti-war Obama. After nearly a year of stay-the-course in Iraq, tens of thousands of troops surging into Afghanistan, murder-by-Drone in Pakistan, and even military operations in Somalia... the people may finally realize the dirty little secret CNN didn't want you to know: Obama is 4 more years of failed Bush foreign policy.
With a wishy washy leader we now have bring the troops home.I don't trust him and I wonder whose side he is on..He has bowed to too many Muslims already.Seems he favors them over the rest of us.
I speak for all Americans when I say bomb the bejesus out of easten Afganistan and Western Pakistan
so it appears that Republicans favor sending MORE troops over in possible harm's way than less. Good way to support our troops. At least President Obama has taken his time to weigh the options, not jumping into this like it appears many on the right would want him to do. He may also be listening to the American people most who oppose not only this war but war all together, this is a war weary public, unless of course you're a far right conservative.
All I can say, it is really to bad we didnt have all of this congressional oversight with the prev WH when it came to their war decisions..Maybe if that had happenned,we would not be in the situation we are in now...If they had even questioned the prev WH even 1% of what they are doing now, these 2 senseless war could have been avoided as well as the loss of so many innocent people on both sides..That to me is the real tragedy in all of this..But I must say, that I have full confidence in Pres Obama and am positive he will make the right decision, unlike his predessesors....
The war is becoming unpopular because of all the time that was wasted during Bush 8 yrs of neglect. Now the GOP wants to criticize President Obama for doing what Bush should have done in the first place. Going into Iraq was the stupidest thing any President has ever done seeing the real treat was in Afghanistan.
So like with our economy,energy,health care, President Obama has to clean up the war mess that Bush got us into. And this unfortunately for us will take time to get it right.
I only hope people will see the GOP for what they truly are: power hungry and could care less about the people. So do not reward their obstructionism in 2010/2012. Instead vote more Democrats/Independents in 2010/2012 not any Republican then maybe they will get it but I have my doubts.
If commanders on the ground say they need more troops to accomplish the mission, then give them the troops now. If Obama is unwilling or unable to give them the additional troops that they require, then bring EVERYBODY back home. Don't just leave our soldiers over there and say "Make do with what you have."
Affie has been neglected for too long. When Obama started the war in March 2009, Michelle Bachmann told him he didn't have enough boots on the ground. He didn't listen.
I support the troop increase, but I also support a war tax to pay for it, and I support sending YOUR kids to fight. (MY kid is already there.)
Until you win the tribes over it's a loosing situation, the govt is corrupt just like south vietnam, the power of Afghanistan lays with the tribes, we need to stick special forces people in there for longer than 6 months to a year, it takes that long for them get to trust you then you rotate out and they have to start all over. It will take a very special commitment from those soldiers, 3 years maybe. Every valley has it's own tribe, figure it out for yourself.
Obama will have 5 more meetings until they tell him to run a away like the coward that he is, so that way he can blame someone else's advice and the media will shout it from the rooftops and others wil be thrown under the bus.
CNN how about showing the poll that has Obambicare losing 56 to 38 with the REAL PEOPLE?
Nah, that would stop the bleating Obamabots who keep lying that everyone wants this bill, sorry sheep, this bill NO 56 to 38 and that is a fact.
One and done.
Sending 34,000 more troops to Afganistan won't make a difference. It amazes me how men keep making the same mistake despite centuries of history that tell you what the outcome will be. When has anyone from the outside ever conquered that area? This will be a castrpophic error on Obama if he goes thru with this.
We don't have to send troops. Burn the poppy fields.
Didn't the Soviets learn this lesson?
Didn't their war sink their country?
Pull out. It is a no win situation.
While polls only accept simple answers, the Afghanistan problem has none; the options are many.By not rushing more troops in, we now have European countries doing more, Afgan militias are more involved in destroying Al Quiada and the Taliban, and the actions in Pakistan seriously upset our enemies in Afghanistan..
This war is not America's alone.
If the previous administration had focused on those who attacked us, and their supporters, instead of invading Iraq, the problem may have been solved by now.
no wonder obama is having such a hard time making a decision. the pools are split. (let alone he hasn't made any decisions yet, making one when he can't rely on a poll telling him what to do must make it even more of a challenge for him).
Give our solders what they need and untie there hands.. Or bring them home. That simple... Vietnam any one?
It is not that Americans do not support the war in Afganistan, it is that they are no longer certain as to why we still are in Afganistan. Give the American people the reason with an achiveable goal and they will be behind the war. But the reason can not be nation building or bring democracy to the Afgan people.
I support our troops and they need backup.
If we are going to have them there doing the job, at least give them what they need to be successful.
I don't know whether or not more troops is the right answer. However, I do know that if Obama sends more troops, the neocons who got us into this war and bungled it for 7+ years will say Obama is wrong and he is the reason bin laden is still free. If, on the other hand, he does not send more troops, the same neocons will say he is wrong.
I'm so glad we went with the smart one this time, and I'll be glad in another year or two when Obama gets us out of both wars, returns us to prosperity, and starts addressing the massive debt (as Clinton did). It is not like more proof of the neocons failure is needed, but that should be the final nail in the coffin of this perverse movement from 1994 – 2006.
don't do this half way, there is nothing there, bomb it into a parking lot
Lets bring the troops home. It is ridiculous that we keep spending billions of dollars and thousands of lives for a country that is corrupt, full of religious fanatics etc. We will never be rid of the Taliban or AlQuida. They will just keep coming and coming, just like in Viet Nam and it is not worth more lives and money. We need to put our money into our own country and we need to stop thinking we are the world's polilce force.
Even if this was a justifiable war, where will we get the troops? Our military has been ground down by constant redeployment. If we decide to go to war, the entire country has to be at war and not just its' army. When the chicken hawks send their kids, that when we will know that we have a war, and we know that that will never happen.
When will people get it?
Our votes and voices mean nothing. We have been against this war from the get-go and have said so repeatedly. Now, they will add more troops. Apathy abounds!
I'll support Obama's decision because I voted for him. We elected the guy to make these decisions and he has access to much more information than I do.
My instinct, however, is to withdraw completely from both Iraq and Afghanistan immediately. I was a supporter of the invasion of both countries, but that was because the Bush Administration made a fool of me with their lies. Then, after we were there, I figured we had to stay and help put those two nations back together.
Now, however, I have come to see the terrorism problem as more of a criminal problem, not a war. Since 2002, many more Americans have been killed by aspirin than by terrorists. More Americans have been killed by other Americans than by terrorists. We have much more important problems to deal with: global warming, health care, the economy, outsourcing of jobs, deterioration of job benefits, and the growing power of global corporations. We don't really have the luxury of wasting so much energy on small problems.
And to all of you who voted for George W. Bush, thanks for the mess you created for us. I hope you feel very guilty.
As always, Obama is just looking to build up the most dramatic and heroic time to make his announcement. He probably wants to time it appropriately such that it doesn't obscure the momentum of the the health care ramming.
Nice of him to play with political momentum while the Generals tell him they need more troops to keep the current ones safe.
We never fight these wars to win them, we fight them to pour money into the defense industry. If we still had a draft, which we should have, the American people would never stand for this. We have always fought our wars as citizen soldiers. Not anymore. We now have a professional army, a military class, so the politicians, at the behest of their corporate owners can now fight wars with no end and huge profits. Get out of Afganistan now.
If you want the job done properly, send the amount of troops that the military commanders are requesting. Don't give in to polls and public opinion. Good thing we didn't drag our feet like this in WW!!!!
I am anxiously awaiting his decision and the explanation. Will he for the first time make a decision based on what is right for the country and the men and women we have put in harms way or will he make an ideological decison based on the wants of his dope smoking constituency? It will be telling, he has failed in every other area, lets see how he does in this one.
It's mind boggling that Republicans are Anit-Abortion, but at the sametime Pro-War.....!
I hope the President decides to find a way to END THIS WAR, and at the sametime, still help and support the troops that are currently in theatre......
Talk about a very complicated issue in terms of what to do and how to do it........
Can anyone tell me what the mission is in Afgan? Is it to defeat the taliban? Is it to build a nation? To capture Osama Bin Laden? Before we send in more troops, let's get the mission straight. I know our troops are short over there, but this is a huge decision on whether to retreat or attack and defend.
I know President Obama will send more troops... Let's hope for victory at the end... The folks that are accusing the President for not sending troops earlier can then rest and wait for casualties as a result of escalating the war. These same folks are busy enjoying there lives and going about there business while there fellow citizitens are been killed in Afghanistan.... If you folks like war that much, what are you then waiting for? join the military and get deployed to Afghanistan.
President Obama is still cleaning up from Bush regime mistakes. This should have been dealt with years ago. The extent of our wars in the middle east should have been tracking down and killing Bin Laden and coming back home. No Afghan war, no Iraq war. The decisions are much harder now, due to Bush/Cheney screw ups.
Why are Bush and Cheney still not in jail?
Our President should listen to people who know better – like Russia's Gorbachev. They pulled out. It is unwinable. George McGovern advises not to escalate. It's not worth one more American life. All the General wants to do is win no matter how many lives it takes. It's like Westmoreland all over again. We've done enough. Karzai had 8 years to make an improvement. What has he done? GET OUT NOW!
We want do what it takes to win the war.
Why put troops in harms way to fight a war
run by congressmen and senators who aren't
willing to hurt some people's feelings.
If we fight to win O.K.....but that is not the
plan.