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Gallup News Service - October 18, 2006
Iraq remains top problem in November 2006 election
by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans continue to be more likely to name Iraq as the nation's top problem than any other concern. This month's update shows a significant drop in the percentage of Americans who cite any economic issue as the most important problem, likely due to declining concern about gas prices. In addition to Iraq and economic concerns, other prominent public concerns include terrorism, dissatisfaction with the way government is run, immigration, healthcare, and decline in morality and ethics. Concern about immigration is now lower than it was in the late spring and early summer.
For decades, the Gallup Poll has been asking Americans to name the most important problem facing the country today. The results for the last five months, including the Oct. 9-12, 2006 update, show that:
1. Iraq remains the most important single problem mentioned by Americans in response to this question. The high frequency of mentions of Iraq as the nation's top problem has been the case for most months since the spring of 2004.
Although 28% of Americans mention Iraq as the nation's top problem, this is substantially below the percentage of Americans who in past years have mentioned other international conflicts as the top problem facing the country. At times in 1966, 1967, and 1968, for example, more than half of Americans spontaneously mentioned Vietnam as the nation's most important problem. Similarly, more than half of Americans mentioned war as the nation's top problem during the Korean conflict in 1951 and 1952.
2. There has been a downturn in the percentage of Americans who mention aspects of the economy as the most important problem facing the country today. The current 19% who mention economic concerns is the lowest such percentage since May 1999.
3. Concerns about terrorism remain at a slightly higher level than where they had been previously. For the last three months, 12% to 16% of Americans have mentioned terrorism/national security as the top problem facing the country, up from as low as 6% in June.
The top of mind salience of terrorism waxes and wanes depending on news events, rising to as high as 17% in July 2005, after the London bombings, and 19% in September 2004, when the issue had been a centerpiece of the Republican convention and Bush's campaign for presidency.
4. Eleven percent of Americans mention concerns about government as the nation's top problem, just slightly higher than what we have measured in recent months.
5. Mentions of immigration as the top problem facing the country are now at 7%. This is a significant drop off from previous months. In April, for example, 19% of Americans mentioned immigration as the country's top problem. The long-term trend shows that very few Americans have traditionally mentioned immigration as the nation's biggest problem. The immigration issue flared up in the public's consciousness this spring, but apparently is now dying off again.
6. Only 2% of Americans mention the situation in North Korea as the nation's top problem (the poll was conducted Oct. 9-12)………………..
http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=25030
ABC News - Oct. 23, 2006
November 2006 election a referendum on Iraq
With just two weeks left, an ABC News/Washington Post poll concludes "the 2006 midterm elections look like a referendum on Iraq, a war in which President Bush and his party have lost not just the political center but significant chunks of their base."
"An improving economy notwithstanding, opposition to the war remains the prime issue driving congressional voter preference. And the war's critics include not just eight in 10 Democrats but 64 percent of independents, 40 percent of conservatives, 35 percent of evangelical white Protestants and a quarter of Republicans."
In the generic congressional ballot, Democrats hold a 54% to 41% lead, the highest level of Democratic support in this poll since 1984. "The Democratic lead comes mainly from the center, which simply is not holding for the Republicans: Independents, the quintessential swing voters, favor Democrats for the House by 28 points, 59% to 31%."
The latest Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll shows Democrats leading by a 49% to 37% margin…….
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2600146&page=1
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