It’s no secret that Democrats are uneasy with sending more troops to Afghanistan.
But here’s something I found rather interesting – with or without troops, all Americans – Dems included – understand why we’re there, and their preference is to keep the country safe from another terrorist attack.
Here are some numbers:
A late September USAToday/Gallup poll says 50 percent of all Americans oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan (a number supported by just about every other poll), the figure is even higher amongst Democrats—62 percent.
But more importantly, all Americans place a premium on securing the country. Though not a majority, more Americans (47 percent) believe we are doing “the right thing” in Afghanistan than those (42 percent) who believe we shouldn’t be involved, according a late September New York Times/CBSNews poll.
Furthermore, 76 percent (including 76 percent of Democrats), according to a Pew Research Center poll, believe that if the Taliban took over Afghanistan again, it would constitute a “major threat” to American security. This is an important point for progressives, who should acknowledge that the Taliban made itself America’s sworn enemy when it gave shelter to al Qaeda in the first place, over the repeated protests and ineffectual warnings of the Clinton administration.
Finally, President Obama’s goals are sinking in with the country: a combined 72 percent, according to New York Times/CBSNews, believe the goal in Afghanistan is to defeat the Taliban and/or eliminate terrorism.
Americans may not like the strategy, but they know we’re in Afghanistan to keep America safe. Democrats should support the goal, not the strategy.
