U.S. Public Opinion Split On Afghanistan

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

What about the American public's view of the war? How is the war going? And what should the U.S. do next?

Here are some answers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Arizona.

Unidentified Man #1: I don't think we're doing very well over there.

Unidentified Man #2: I would say not so well.

Unidentified Man #3: Seems like a bit of a mess.

Unidentified Woman #1: They just keep sending boys over there that are just getting killed. And they're just not getting anywhere.

Unidentified Man #4: I think we're getting beat. I don't know that we can win. Maybe we should pull out.

Unidentified Woman #2: I think we should withdraw and come home.

Unidentified Man #5: I just think we needed to try a different strategy or something, get more countries involved in helping us out.

Unidentified Woman #3: I know that we're doing good, and we need to be there, but it just breaks my heart.

Unidentified Man #6: My son's over there now. I don't think we should even be there.

Unidentified Woman #4: I mean, I've got relatives over there, close relatives, and I'd like to see them come home.

Unidentified Man #7: Get our boys home where they belong and leave them people alone.

Unidentified Woman #5: I think they need to put their efforts into helping the Afghan people and winning them that way. I think it's a very hard thing to win militarily.

Unidentified Man #8: Yeah, I think they need to be cleared out. You know, they're coming here, they're still here, and that's a haven for them, and�

Unidentified Man #6: Let some more troops in, get what we need to get done and finish it.

Unidentified Man #9: It's got to be all or nothing. We've got to pull out and let them figure it out themselves, or we have to go in there and, you know, bring the troop levels up like General McChrystal is suggesting, so I go with the military people. They know best. They're on the ground.

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

That's Tim Anderson(ph), Josh Middleton(ph), Mike Hall(ph), Nance Hooper(ph), Brian Stamish(ph), Margie Riffle(ph), Kitty Sweet(ph), George Caroway(ph), Barbara Kinisovic(ph), Joshua Lockwood(ph), Patrick Braxton(ph) and Doug Headan(ph) with their thoughts on the Afghan war.

NORRIS: And we're joined now by Andrew Kohut. He's the president of the Pew Research Center. Welcome to the program, Andy.

Mr. ANDREW KOHUT (President, Pew Research Center): Happy to be here, Michele.

NORRIS: Now, we just heard a mix of opinions from people all over the country about how things are going in Afghanistan and what the U.S. should or should not do. What are you seeing in the latest U.S. opinion polls?

Mr. KOHUT: Well, there is a mix of opinion. The public is pretty divided about Afghanistan. Earlier in the year, we had majorities saying keep the troops there until this situation is stable. Our September polls showed the public split; only about 50 percent saying keep the troops there, other polls showing pretty much the same things. Some polls even saying get them out now. The reason for all of this is consensus in the polls that things are not going well there. You know, August Gallup found 54 percent of the public saying the war was going well. By September, that dropped to 37 percent. Other polls, ours included, show a similar decline in the view that we're succeeding.

NORRIS: We heard someone say that it's got to be all or nothing, either pull the troops out or give General McChrystal the troops that he's been asking for. How split are Americans on that question, whether the U.S. should send more troops to Afghanistan?

Mr. KOHUT: Well, most polls find a split decision. There's a little more support when you mention the military wants it because the military has a lot of credibility, more credibility, in fact, than the Obama administration. President Obama's approval ratings on Afghanistan have been falling rather steadily. ABC had that only at 45 percent. We have a new poll that will come out next week that will show it materially lower than that.

NORRIS: Now, as the president weighs his options, we need to note that the Obama administration is not actually considering total withdrawal, but we heard a couple of people call exactly for that. Do many in America feel that enough is enough, it's time to bring everyone home?

Mr. KOHUT: You know, there's a significant minority of people who feel that. But unlike the war in Iraq, people haven't given up on the rationale for this war. Only 37 percent, for example, say sending troops there in the first place was a mistake. Fifty-eight percent feel that way about Iraq. Most people continue to believe that if the Taliban took control of the country, it would be a dangerous threat to the United States. So they're struggling with how poorly it's going on the one hand, but for most of them, they see a reason to be doing something. What is the big question?

NORRIS: Andy, thanks so much.

Mr. KOHUT: You're welcome.

NORRIS: That's Andrew Kohut. He's the president of the Pew Research Center.

SIEGEL: And we'll hear some proposals for what to do in Afghanistan in the next and concluding segment of our special hour this evening.

Also an update on what's happened at Fort Hood in Texas today. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an army psychiatrist is believed to have been the shooter. He was killed by police. One other soldier is in custody.

You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.