what britons really think about bush... (yougov poll results)
mhor | 17.11.2003 15:23 | Bush 2003 | Globalisation | London
from: 
http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2182588
ok just another poll - but results are supported by other recent polls - the message is clear - BUSH GO HOME!
http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2182588 ok just another poll - but results are supported by other recent polls - the message is clear - BUSH GO HOME!
The full extent of the low regard Britons have for George W Bush has been revealed in a poll.
The US President was branded a threat to world peace by a clear majority, 60%, of those questioned by YouGov.
More than one in three, 37%, said Mr Bush was “stupid” while 33% called him “incoherent”.
Only a minority saw positive characteristics in Mr Bush, with just 7% regarding him as a good world leader, 6% as articulate and 10% as intelligent.
The findings are published in the Sunday Times ahead of his state visit to Britain next week, the first by a US leader.
A slim majority of those questioned opposed the visit by 26% to 21% although half did not care.
There was sympathy with anti-war campaigners who plan a series of protests to mark the visit with a majority of 53% to 41% supporting the demonstrations.
The antipathy toward Mr Bush is matched by an increasingly gloomy view of Iraq.
For the first time a majority said Britain and the US were wrong to go to war with Iraq by 45% to 43%.
The question has been asked repeatedly since March and when US troops entered Baghdad in April voters were in favour of the war by 66% to 29%.
Now almost three-quarters, 73%, expected the security situation to get worse over the next few months.
Only 15% believed that things would get better in Iraq with just 18% saying the country’s future would be as a peaceful democracy.
An overwhelming 70% thought there was little hope for the people of Iraq and that it would be a permanently unstable country.
Despite this, there is not a clamour to bring Britain’s troops home.
One in five, 20%, said UK forces in Iraq should be withdrawn immediately and 26% said they should return home within six months whatever the security situation.
But 47% believed Britain had a duty to retain forces there.
There was little faith in the President’s ability to handle the continuing problems in Iraq.
Fewer than a quarter, 24%, had confidence in Mr Bush on Iraq, while 74% did not.
Tony Blair fares only slightly better with 38% expressing confidence in him compared with 59% who did not.
There was also scepticism about the “special relationship” between Britain and the US.
Only a third, 34%, thought the relationship should continue as at present with Britain remaining Washington’s closest ally.
A larger proportion, 47%, said that Britain should continue as one of America’s allies but be ready to pursue a more independent line.
Some went further, with 14% saying Britain should no longer regard the US as a close ally and should pursue its own interests irrespective of what Washington thinks.
YouGov surveyed a representative sample of 1,934 adults, online, on Thursday and Friday, November 13-14.
The US President was branded a threat to world peace by a clear majority, 60%, of those questioned by YouGov.
More than one in three, 37%, said Mr Bush was “stupid” while 33% called him “incoherent”.
Only a minority saw positive characteristics in Mr Bush, with just 7% regarding him as a good world leader, 6% as articulate and 10% as intelligent.
The findings are published in the Sunday Times ahead of his state visit to Britain next week, the first by a US leader.
A slim majority of those questioned opposed the visit by 26% to 21% although half did not care.
There was sympathy with anti-war campaigners who plan a series of protests to mark the visit with a majority of 53% to 41% supporting the demonstrations.
The antipathy toward Mr Bush is matched by an increasingly gloomy view of Iraq.
For the first time a majority said Britain and the US were wrong to go to war with Iraq by 45% to 43%.
The question has been asked repeatedly since March and when US troops entered Baghdad in April voters were in favour of the war by 66% to 29%.
Now almost three-quarters, 73%, expected the security situation to get worse over the next few months.
Only 15% believed that things would get better in Iraq with just 18% saying the country’s future would be as a peaceful democracy.
An overwhelming 70% thought there was little hope for the people of Iraq and that it would be a permanently unstable country.
Despite this, there is not a clamour to bring Britain’s troops home.
One in five, 20%, said UK forces in Iraq should be withdrawn immediately and 26% said they should return home within six months whatever the security situation.
But 47% believed Britain had a duty to retain forces there.
There was little faith in the President’s ability to handle the continuing problems in Iraq.
Fewer than a quarter, 24%, had confidence in Mr Bush on Iraq, while 74% did not.
Tony Blair fares only slightly better with 38% expressing confidence in him compared with 59% who did not.
There was also scepticism about the “special relationship” between Britain and the US.
Only a third, 34%, thought the relationship should continue as at present with Britain remaining Washington’s closest ally.
A larger proportion, 47%, said that Britain should continue as one of America’s allies but be ready to pursue a more independent line.
Some went further, with 14% saying Britain should no longer regard the US as a close ally and should pursue its own interests irrespective of what Washington thinks.
YouGov surveyed a representative sample of 1,934 adults, online, on Thursday and Friday, November 13-14.
mhor
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On fraudulent polls that prop the Bush-Blair Reichs up
18.11.2003 16:12
I must say the Independent is doing a better job of allowing public opinion to leak through the media curtain. They did a poll of over 10,000 people - 91% (last time I checked) said they didn't want Bush on British soil! But the latest "state polls" in the BBC, Guardian, American network news, show that you folks over there just LOVE Bush and feel that America is the good guy in all things (harhar!). And, did you know that support for the Iraq war is "growing"?? Bet that comes as a big surprise, eh?
Here in the States, they are using God knows what kind of fraud and manipulation to keep Bush's "approval rating" hovering above 50% because political experts say to hit 50% or below is the kiss of political death. So you'll see these obviously fudged polls where 60-70% of the respondants are negative about just about every thing Bush is doing...but then there's this miraculous 52% "overall approval" rating!!
Cheryl Seal