Utahns are split over war in Afghanistan

Copyright 2009 Deseret News

Utahns are split over what to do about Afghanistan: Send more troops, pull out, drop back 10 yards and punt?

A new survey for the Deseret News and KSL-TV by Dan Jones & Associates finds that 35 percent of Utahns believe President Barack Obama should send at least 40,000 additional troops (or even more than that) to Afghanistan.

Seventeen percent want the president to pull all U.S. troops out of the country, 14 percent say keep the same number there as now, and 14 percent say send fewer than 40,000 new troops into the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida.

The question, put to 322 residents, shows different groups of Utahns are torn between their general support of Obama, a Democrat, and support for the war and the military.

For example, Jones found that 45 percent of Democrats favor pulling all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, which in effect would end the war.

Obama has made it clear he will not do that, at least not in the near future.

Jones found that 43 percent of Utah Republicans want the president (whom in general they do not support) to put in 40,000 or more new troops. Seventeen percent of Republicans want at least some additional troops but fewer than 40,000, sent into the war. Sixty percent of Utah Republicans want more troops in the fighting.

Many Washington, D.C., pundits say it is unlikely Obama will put 40,000 more troops into the battle, as his chief general in Afghanistan recommends, but probably will send in some more troops.

In an April survey, Jones found that 64 percent of Utah Republicans disapproved of the job Obama was doing as president, but 100 percent of Utah Democrats approved of Obama's job performance.

Thus, Utah Democrats really like the job Obama is doing, but he likely will go against their wishes in Afghanistan; while Utah Republicans don't like the job Obama is doing, but he likely will do what they want in the Afghan fighting.

Obama says he may take until Thanksgiving to announce his next move in the Afghan war, which is becoming more unpopular across the United States.

One thing the poll does show: No matter what the president does with troop deployment in Afghanistan, a number of Utahns will disagree with him.

The poll was conducted Oct. 28-29 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percent.

e-mail: bbjr@desnews.com