Optimism Breaks Out

Optimism about the War Against Terrorism rebounded smartly in the last month according to Rasmussen Reports polling released today:

Forty-eight percent (48%) [of] Americans now believe the U.S. and its Allies are winning. That's up nine points from 39% a month ago and represents the highest level of confidence measured in 2005.

Just 28% now believe the terrorists are winning, down six points from 34% a month ago.

There is more good news. Forty percent now believe that the U.S. is safer than it was before 9/11. That's up from 34% a month ago. The number who say the U.S. is not safer has declined to 43 percent, down from 50% a month ago.

Forty percent (40%) of Americans now believe that, in the long run, the U.S. mission in Iraq will be viewed as a success. Forty-five percent (45%) believe it will be viewed as a failure. Those figures also show increased optimism compared to last month.

The survey was conducted on November 30 and December 1, following the President Bush's speech outlining the Strategy For Victory In Iraq, and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

It is interesting that this rebound in optimism about the war occurred in the midst of the Pelosi Democrats' campaign for a withdrawal from Iraq. Rasmussen did find Democrats less optimistic than Republicans, only 28 percent of Democrats believe we are winning compared to 74 percent of Republicans. But the Democrats are also becoming more optimistic. Last month only 19 percent of Democrats thought we were winning.

According to Rasmussen's ongoing presidential approval polling, President Bush's job approval numbers aren't nearly as bad as the mainstream media would have you believe. The President's approval numbers have stabilized in the mid 40s. On Election Day 2004, the President's Job Approval was at 52 percent. Today's rating 46 percent is pretty good when viewed in light of the fact that during
2004, reports on the President's job approval were based upon surveys of Likely Voters. Typically, a survey of Likely Voters would report a Job Approval rating 2-3 points higher than a survey of all adults.

Polls can be and are often used to support a predetermined finding. Rasmussen's ongoing polling is less prone to such gimmickry and claims to be most accurate polling firm during the 2004 Presidential election predicting the final outcome within half a percent of the actual total.