President's Speech Boosts Confidence in War on Terror

Rasmussen Reports ^ | 12/21/05 | Scott Rasmussen

[LdSentinal]

December 21, 2005--The President's Sunday night speech has increased the nation's confidence concerning the situation in Iraq and the War on Terror. Confidence is up among Republicans and unaffiliateds, but not among Democrats.

Fifty percent (50%) of Americans now believe that the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That's up from 44% immediately preceding the speech. It's also the highest level of confidence in more than a year.

Just 25% of Americans believe the terrorists are winning. Rasmussen Reports has asked this survey question more than 70 times over the past two years. Just once, in April 2004, has a smaller percentage of Americans believed that the terrorists were winning. When December began, 28% believed the terrorists were winning.

CrossTabs with Demographic Breakdowns are available for Premium Members.

Forty percent (40%) of Americans now give the President good or excellent marks for handling the situation in Iraq. That's up from 35% before the speech.

The number giving the President poor marks on Iraq declined to 39% from 42%. This is the first time all year that the number giving the President good or excellent marks has matched the number saying poor. Forty-two percent (42%) now say things will get better in Iraq over the next six months. That's up from 37% before the speech. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say things will get worse.

At the beginning of 2005, just 28% of Americans thought the situation in Iraq would get better over the next six month. A Rasmussen Reports survey at the time found that 50% of Americans expected things to get worse.

Huge partisan divisions on questions dealing with Iraq remain. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans believe the U.S. and its allies are winning. That's up from 71% before the speech.

Just 25% of Democrats share that view (little changed from 24% before the speech). Forty percent (40%) of Democrats believe the terrorists are winning.

Among those those not affiliated with either major party, 44% now say the U.S. and its allies are winning. That's up nine points from 35% before the speech.

Twenty-four percent (24%) of unaffiliateds take the opposite view and say the terrorists are winning. That's down from 27% before the speech

Forty-two percent (42%) of Americans believe that, in the long run, the U.S. mission in Iraq will be viewed as a success (up from 39%). Thirty-seven percent (37%) believe it will be viewed as a failure (down from 42%).

[Eagles Talon IV]

This will cause the Demoncrats to be "deeply disturbed"

[Dog]

All the verbal shots he took for the last year....and his numbers are rising....must be a b!tch being a lib after seeing these numbers........hahahaha

Rope a dope..

[Mr. Keys]

They're already "deeply disturbed", but they will be saddened and exposed as just plain "nuts".

[frogjerk]

Fifty percent (50%) of Americans now believe that the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror.

SHEEHAN: "If the U.S. wins this war in IRAQ, I will have lost everything...I must prevail!...hmm...maybe I should start wearing a bikini and flashing my breasts...then people will notice me...works for Howard Stern..."

[Antoninus]

More please, Mr. President...

[Pride in the USA]

This is exactly why the President needs to be in front of the cameras and microphones telling it like it is at least once a week.

[dc-zoo]

Actually I think the left are "mixed nuts".

[sgtbono2002]

I agree , but he also needs the support of Republicans on the Hill. Its time some of them started speaking up.

Also the Democrats who always poll against Bush in these polls are the same idiots who have had the ballots in Florida counted 15 times and still cant believe he won.Mostly they are brain dead.

[Names Ash Housewares]

He has been consistent since the beginning. But he failed to engage his political enemys, relying on others to get the message out. He now has taken this upon himself. He has finally done this with great results. DONT STOP NOW! KEEP IT UP!

[Eagles Talon IV]

Agreed. It's like they say. If you want a job done right, do it yourself. GWB is a visionary who has the courage to put the nations welfare ahead of politics. This is the way the founders intended things to be. Term limits, restricting each elected official to 1 term but allowing them to again run after sitting out a term would go a long way towards stopping this insane behavior of their spending 90% of their time running for re election instead of doing the job they were elected for.

[jmaroneps37]

"Just 25% of Democrats share that view (little changed from 24% before the speech). Forty percent (40%) of Democrats believe the terrorists are winning."
This is likely a VERY accurate reflection of the reality in the minority party. The worst thing for the minority party is that few people are probably admitting to being Democrats, because they are ashamed of their fellow rats.