Reality vs Headlines (62% in Britian Support Bush)

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1087545,00.html ^ | 11/17/03 | Guardian Unlimited

[shoedog]

Protests begin but majority backs Bush visit as support for war surges

See the ICM poll in full (pdf)

Alan Travis and David Gow Tuesday November 18, 2003 The Guardian

A majority of Labour voters welcome President George Bush's state visit to Britain which starts today, according to November's Guardian/ICM opinion poll.

The survey shows that public opinion in Britain is overwhelmingly pro-American with 62% of voters believing that the US is "generally speaking a force for good, not evil, in the world". It explodes the conventional political wisdom at Westminster that Mr Bush's visit will prove damaging to Tony Blair. Only 15% of British voters agree with the idea that America is the "evil empire" in the world.

Mr Blair insisted last night that he had made the right decision in inviting Mr Bush to Britain as an unprecedented security operation got under way to prepare for his arrival today. More than 14,000 police officers at a cost of £5m will be on duty during the four-day visit, with tens of thousands of anti-war protesters are expected to take to the streets.

The ICM poll also uncovers a surge in pro-war sentiment in the past two months as suicide bombers have stepped up their attacks on western targets and troops in Iraq. Opposition to the war has slumped by 12 points since September to only 41% of all voters. At the same time those who believe the war was justified has jumped 9 points to 47% of voters.

This swing in the mood of British voters is echoed in the poll's finding that two-thirds of voters believe British and American troops should not pull out of Iraq now but instead stay until the situation is "more stable".

It also may explain the beginnings of a recovery in Tony Blair's personal ratings in this month's Guardian poll. He still remains an unpopular prime minister with 52% unhappy with the job he is doing, compared with 40% who say they are satisfied with his performance. But the prime minister's net popularity rating of minus 12 points is a significant improvement over last month's net rating of minus 18 points.

The detailed results of the poll show that more people - 43% - say they welcome George Bush's arrival in Britain than the 36% who say they would prefer he did not come.

Labour voters are more enthusiastic about the visit than Tory voters. But it is only Liberal Democrats who are marginally more unhappy about his arrival, with 43% against and 39% willing to welcome him. A majority of "twentysomethings" welcome Mr Bush. Hostility is strongest amongst the over-65s. There is a clear gender gap in attitudes with a majority of men - 51% - welcoming the president's arrival, compared with only 35% of women.

Pro-Americanism, as might be expected, is strongest among Tory voters with 71% saying the US is a force for good. But it is nearly matched by the 66% of Labour voters who say the US is a force for good. Anti-Americanism is strongest among Liberal Democrat voters but is still only shared by 24% of them and the majority see the US as the "good guys".

Mr Blair told the CBI national conference in Birmingham yesterday of his support for the war on terrorism, saying: "Now is not the time to waver but see it through."

In unscripted remarks, he said the weekend terrorist bombings in Turkey, the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia and continuing bombings in Iraq, meant Britain should "stand firm with the United States of America in defeating terrorism wherever it is and delivering us safely from what I genuinely believe is the security threat of the 21st century".

But Mr Blair made plain he completely backed the EU's stance against the US over illegal tariffs on steel imports, insisting that Washington must now respond to the World Trade Organisation ruling: "There will be from time to time these disagreements on issues to do with trade and we must stick very firmly to our position."

The prime minister also reaffirmed his vision of Britain as a bridge between the US and Europe.

"I firmly believe we have two big foreign policy pillars, the US alliance and our position in the EU. There's absolutely no reason to yield up either and we will not," he said to loud applause.

· ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,002 adults aged 18 and over by telephone between November 14-16, 2003. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.

[shoedog]

Well, I guess all the liberal Media again, overexagerates mainstream peoples beliefs.

[zook]

I found this to be absolutely amazing. With a few exceptions, The press and the media have zero credibility these days. Watch over the next few days to see if CBS, CNN, NBC, etc., do anything but tell us how despised our president is over there.

[Shermy]

The press over their seems to have had a panic attack. Or a witch scare. A mass hysteria.

[RobFromGa]

I was amazed that the Brits were apparently overwhelmingly against Bush and AMerica. Turns out they weren't, only the press and the Democrats and the Islamists, and other anti-American traitors want us to believe that. I wonder why?

[zencat]

OK. I feel a little better knowing that at least a majority of Britons are sane.

But that London Mayor is still a bigtime loser. Someone over there should issue an apology.

[Freemeorkillme]

Yep.

Repeat the lie enough, and though it may be wholly disproven and those that lied only need apologize, damage is done.

A discernable stain remains resident on the chain of events and clogs pores in the filters of some people's perception.

[McGavin999]

Is this the same Britain we've been reading about? Of course it is, this is the Britain we've come to know and love, with their staunch loyalty and stoic nature when faced with world problems. I couldn't believe the stuff we've been reading and now I know why, because it was a lie.

[Crazieman]

Wow thanks for these figures. I thought it sounded pretty bad the way ABC Radio framed it. Never heard any of these good poll numbers, they only pulled the bad ones out of the air.

[Mentos]

Labour voters are more enthusiastic about the visit than Tory voters.

???

[MEG33]

I smell agenda.

[Darlin']

I felt sure the press and the left had ratcheted up the hysteria but knew it was true when stories complainiing about the cost and inconvenience of a state visit started showing up. The British, real Britons, are rather fond of state visits and no other country comes close to matching them for pomp and ceremony. Rightly so. A few years ago, I arrived in London on the day of a processional (?) or parade during a state visit. It was splendid, the coaches and horses and riders. Yes, the streets were blocked off and it took forever to get across town but it was something to see.

[Print]

"The press over their seems to have had a panic attack. Or a witch scare. A mass hysteria."

Media is in the business of making money. Hysteria sells.

[luckydevi]

Wow

[MEG33]

Here's the poll.

[RobFromGa]

Somewhere recently I saw that this was the first state visit by a US president in 80 years, that seems impossible.

[RoseofTexas]

Well those supporters BETTER get their ASSES out there and counter attack those protesters!! This will NOT look well in the eyes of the Americans!! And Americans have LONNNNNNNNNNG Memories!!

[MEG33]

It was a lie our media was promoting,too.This is in the Guardian,too,no friend of Bush.

[Verginius Rufus]

Brit Hume on Monday evening was quoting some poll figures from the UK which suggested that only a tiny minority of people over there have a favorable impression of President Bush. This poll seems to have asked about people's impressions of the US generally rather than the President.

[MEG33]

I fear he edited the title.

[Darlin']

I agree, it seems impossible but it is apparently true. The Queen has extended quite an honor to President Bush. Perhaps that is why the leftist press has gotten in such a wad about it, because Clinton never made the A list.