Poll Weirdness

After seeing such depressing results from the LA Times poll last week, I have been looking for any news that wouldn’t make me lose faith in the American people.

Well the latest Times / CBS poll is less depressing. Everyone still loves Bush, and things don’t look too good for the Democrats. I was happy to see this, however:

But a majority remains opposed to a policy of pre-emptive attack like the one President Bush invoked in invading Iraq, and see the White House, emboldened by its success, as now likely to turn the nation’s military might on North Korea, Syria or Iran.

But I looked at the results and saw this:

18. Which comes closer to your opinion about what the United States policy should be? The United States should not attack another country unless the U.S. is attacked first, OR the U.S. should be able to attack any country it thinks might attack the United States?

            U.S. should not attack    U.S. should attack       DK/NA
4/11-13/03            40                        47                13

and this:

19. Which comes closer to your opinion about what the United States policy should be after the war with Iraq? The United States should not attack another country unless the U.S. is attacked first, OR the U.S. should be able to attack any country it thinks might attack the United States?

      U.S. should not attack        U.S. should attack         DK/NA
4/11-13/03            51                        38                  11

So does America support a pre-emptive strike only on Iraq? Do they support pre-emptive action now but not when the war is finished? Or is it that poll results change with a minor change in the question’s phrasing?

Of course I couldn’t help noticing this:

54. Do you think Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon?

                  Yes        No         DK/NA
9/22-23/02         51        33          16
2/10-12/03         42        42          16                        
3/7-9/03           45        40          15
4/2-3/03 CBS       53        34          13
4/11-13/03         53        38           9

AAAAAAAARGH…
Personally involved? Even the adminstration isn’t claiming this. It’s amazing how easily people can be deluded.