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69% of Americans oppose deal leaving Iran with nuclear capabilities
Times of Israel ^ | November 25, 2014, 6:44 pm | David Horovitz

Posted on 11/25/2014 3:43:58 PM PST by Dave346

Survey shows ‘Netanyahu closer to the American people than Obama’ on Iran, says pollster Frank Luntz

More than two-thirds of Americans oppose a deal with Iran that would allow it to maintain nuclear weapons capabilities, according to a new survey by American political strategist Frank Luntz. Americans are also overwhelmingly mistrustful of Iran, and consider it to be the country that poses the greatest threat to the United States.

The survey, shown to The Times of Israel on Tuesday, the day after US-led talks with Iran were extended till next July, also found an overwhelming majority of Americans believe the Iranians are stalling rather than negotiating in good faith, and that the regime in Tehran cannot be relied upon to honor any accord it may reach.

More broadly, Americans overwhelmingly feel the world to be less safe today than 10 years ago, and believe America is weaker today than it was 10 years ago.

According to the findings, 69% of Americans would reject a deal under which Iran agreed to stop R&D but kept its current nuclear capabilities, compared to 31% who would accept such a deal.

The survey also showed 62% of Americans consider that Iran is an enemy of the US, while 37% consider it neutral, and 1% consider it an ally. It found that 73% of Americans consider that Iran is an enemy of Israel, while 25% consider it neutral, and 1% consider it an ally.

A staggering 81% of respondents do not believe the current government in Iran can be trusted to keep agreements, compared to 5% who think it can be trusted. And an even more overwhelming 85% do not believe the Iranians’ assertions that their nuclear program is peaceful, as compared to 8% who do.

“When it comes to Iran, the Israeli prime minister is closer to the American people than the US president,” Luntz said of the findings. This was a reference to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for any deal with Iran to provide for the dismantling of Iran’s entire nuclear weapons capability, while US President Barack Obama has indicated willingness for a deal which would allow Iran to maintain a strictly supervised capacity to enrich uranium.

Broadly speaking, “no matter how you analyze it, 70% of Americans don’t want a deal that allows Iran to maintain nuclear capabilities, against 15% that are somewhat undecided and 15% who don’t care [if Iran retains a nuclear weapons capability],” said Luntz. “That’s as universal a finding as anything I’ve done in recent years. America is polarized. But when it comes to Iran, they’re united: no nuclear — not now, not ever, no excuses, no exceptions.”

In similar vein, the survey found 49% of Americans consider Iran to be the country that constitutes the greatest threat to the United States, followed by Iraq (15%), Pakistan (13%), Afghanistan (12%), Syria (9%) and Israel (3%). Four percent of Democrats consider Israel the greatest threat, and 1% of Republicans.

In the current nuclear talks, where the US-led P5+1 nations on Monday agreed to an extension of negotiations till the beginnign of next July, 87% of Americans believe the Iranians are stalling, compared to 13% who see Tehran negotiating in good faith.

Asked what type of action should be taken to counter Iran’s nuclear program, 46% said sanctions, 19% economic diplomacy, 16% targeted strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities, and 10% support for the Iranian opposition, while 9% favor accepting the reality that Iran will eventually get nuclear weapons.

If Iran kept going with its nuclear program, the survey found 50% of Americans supporting US military action, compared to 29% opposed; and 55% supporting Israeli military action, compared to 27% opposed.

Asked broader questions about world safety and American power, 83% of respondents said the world was less safe today than 10 years ago, compared to 17% who consider it safer today. And 67% think America is weaker today than 10 years ago, compared to 33% who think it is stronger.

“America used to be the most optimistic country,” noted Luntz. “This is the first time I’ve seen Americans generally afraid for the future.”

Luntz also posed questions about the “chickenshit” affair, in which an unnamed US administration official was quoted by journalist Jeffrey Goldberg using the epithet to describe Netanyahu. Asked how the president should have responded to the affair, 30% said he should have found the individual responsible and fired him, 25% said he should have found the individual responsible and reprimanded him, 35% said he should have apologized to Netanyahu, and 11% said he should have ignored the episode. In practice, Secretary of State John Kerry apologized to Netanyahu.

The figures come from questions put to a total of 1,800 American voters nationwide, in two internet surveys conducted by Luntz on behalf of pro-Israel organizations The Israel Project and Stand With Us. The surveys were completed on Sunday, and Luntz, who is currently visiting Israel, said the margin of error was 3%.

Luntz, a pollster and communications consultant who has had significant ties to Israel for the past decade, is talking through the findings with Israeli leaders across the spectrum, and will also present them to American leaders across the spectrum in 10 days’ time.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bomb; irantalks; nuclear; nucleariran; obamagivesirannukes; obamairan; terror; war

1 posted on 11/25/2014 3:43:58 PM PST by Dave346
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To: Dave346

Should be 100%.


2 posted on 11/25/2014 3:52:46 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Dave346

There is an old adage that was true centuries ago and it’s still true today: “YOU DO NOT MAKE DEALS WITH THE DEVIL. THE DEVIL WILL ALWAYS WIN”. I was already alive when Neville Chamberlain made his “DEAL” with Adolph Hitler. He promised the British people “PEACE IN OUR TIME”. Within a year Hitler started WW2. I’m quite sure that any “DEAL” that our head of the STATE DEPARTMENT (who served in Vietnam) makes, he will come home waving another piece of paper, telling us that he has just gotten “PEACE IN OUR TIME”.


3 posted on 11/25/2014 3:57:35 PM PST by gingerbread
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past
Should be 100%.

My first thought as well.

4 posted on 11/25/2014 3:59:43 PM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Dave346

Well, I can see it as a nuclear strike test site...


5 posted on 11/25/2014 4:01:16 PM PST by freedumb2003 (obozocare: shovel-ready health care)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

What kind of warped thinking goes on the heads of the other 29%?


6 posted on 11/25/2014 4:05:25 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Dave346

69% is about the percentage that was against amnesty, about the same percentage that was against ObamaCare.

Didn’t make the slightest difference, did it.


7 posted on 11/25/2014 4:26:35 PM PST by Steely Tom (Thank you for self-censoring.)
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To: Dave346

Should be 110% since the Iranian islamoNazi mullahs have repeatedly made it clear America is their Great Satan and number one target.


8 posted on 11/25/2014 5:21:35 PM PST by faithhopecharity ((Brilliant, Profound Tag Line Goes Here, just as soon as I can think of one..))
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To: Dave346

Has El-Presidente been on the right side of any issue?


9 posted on 11/25/2014 6:15:09 PM PST by logic101.net (How many more children must die on the altar of gun free zones?)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

10 posted on 11/26/2014 5:08:02 AM PST by SJackson (incompetent and feckless..the story of the Obama presidency. No hand on the f***ing tiller, Hillary)
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To: SJackson

Whether it’s Obamacare, illegal invaders, border security, Second Amendment rights or anything else, the two bit criminal third world dictator squatting in America’s most important chair doesn’t give a tinker’s damn what the American People think.

I have a prediction:

Only a few months into this bastard’s last two years of office and Americans will be screaming for his impeachment and so will most of his own party. So badly will the stench of his arrogance and crimes be manifest.

He is a rogue criminal and needs to be removed from office, tried for crimes against the American people and imprisoned for life along with his chief lieutenants and enablers: Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano, Lois Lerner, etc.

Americans have to STOP the business as usual with the incompetent, over paid, over-perked politicians in the White House, Cabinet, Congress and Courts and END BOTH political parties destruction of a once great Republic.


11 posted on 11/26/2014 5:30:54 AM PST by ZULU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLDFiQcjlY Impeach Obama in 2015 !!!)
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To: Dave346
What difference does it make? The bureaucrats know what is best for us and they are in charge.


12 posted on 11/26/2014 4:40:40 PM PST by garjog (Obama: bringing joy to the hearts of Terrorists everywhere.)
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