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Richard Piatt Reporting Public opinion of the President's speech is mixed. Before he went on the air tonight polls showed most Utahns disapproved of the Administration's handling of the war. Now we have new results, after the president's remarks.
The President's speech was meant to rejuvenate support for the war, to bring back people who once supported it, but recently didn't. The address appears to have done just that.
There is intense interest in the President's speech at the Thompson house, but there are different opinions on the war in Iraq. Aaron is a Democrat; always opposed it. His wife, Sunni, is Republican, but started opposing it about a year ago. Their houseguests always supported both the President and the war. For all of them, though, this speech offered varying degrees of hope.
Aaron Thompson, Opposes War in Iraq: "I'm slightly optimistic in that we finally have a defined goal."
Sunni Thompson, Questions War in Iraq: "I don't know if it renewed my faith but it did make me feel a little bit better that there's a plan until November."
The slight change in optimism is reflected in two exclusive Dan Jones polls. Before the speech 51 percent of 309 people told us they disapproved of the Bush Administration's handling of the war in Iraq. After the speech slightly more people said they favored it.
The President's description of the troop surge and its goals specifically softened public opposition. Before the speech, 53 percent said they disapproved sending more troops to Iraq. After the speech it was the vast majority, 54 to 37 percent, who support the surge.
Darren D'Orlando, Supports President Bush: "We're going to be there for a while. You don't go into a country, change their political structure and get out in two years. It just doesn't happen."
The speech also seems to have strengthened the resolve of Bush supporters that the US needs to finish what it started in Iraq. Before the speech 50 percent said they approve of allocating more money for reconstruction in Iraq. After, slightly more people say they approved.
Lea Ann Braithwaite, Supports President Bush: "Something has to change, something big, something drastic. And this might be the beginning of that."
The sample sizes and the margins of error on the two polls are different, but the results do indicate a lot of people in Utah are willing to give the President another chance.
