Poll Shows Public Divided Over Bergdahl Release Deal
The first poll released in the wake of the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and the controversy that has arisen because of it shows that the nation is divided on whether or not the deal was a good idea:
Voters are split over the Obama administration’s swap of five Taliban prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay for the release of Army. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
According to a Fox News poll released Wednesday night, 47 percent disapprove of the trade that took place over the weekend. Another 45 percent approve, while 8 percent do not know.
Democrats are the only group in which a majority, 59 percent, approve of the trade. Another 32 percent of Democrats disapprove.
Sixty-two percent of Republicans disapprove, while 31 percent approve.
Among independents, 49 percent disapprove, and 41 percent approve.
The vast majority of every group, however, believes that “negotiating with terrorist groups” will encourage those groups to hold more soldiers hostage in the future.
The United States released the prisoners to the country of Qatar, which acted as an intermediary between the U.S. and the Taliban in the negotiations.
Overall, 84 percent of voters are concerned that the negotiation could lead to more hostages being taken. Only 15 percent are not concerned.
Ninety-three percent of Republicans and 83 percent of independents expressed concern. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats felt the same.
As more information comes out, of course, these numbers could very well change. However, I would imagine that this is far from what the White House expected the reaction to this release deal would be. But, then, if you screw up the messaging on something like the release of an American P.O.W. then you probably deserve whatever happens.
Well, I have to admit, it’s “Mission Accomplished” for the Conservative Media Complex.
Republicans complained that they were consulted, they quickly “Swift Boated” Bergdahl, and here we are – a national crisis has been created.
Also, we see that 32% of Democrats are DINOs, 31% of Republicans are RINOs and a majority of so-called “Independents” are actually Republicans.
Kinda bitchy, Doug. There shouldn’t have to BE messaging on releasing a POW. For better or worse, an American is home and not in the hands of the enemy anymore.
That there needs to be optics on this at all speaks to how nasty politics in this country have gotten. Shame on all of us.
al-Ameda:
Republicans aren’t the only ones on Capitol Hill complaining about the Obama Administration’s failure to comply with the law.
And, they would have been a lot better off if they had not sent Susan Rice on the Sunday shows to claim that Bergdahl had served his nation with distinction when they already knew the story behind his disappearance.
They’ve got nobody to blame for this but themselves.
Diplomats are supposed to be diplomatic. Susan Rice was and remains a diplomat.
@Doug Mataconis:
I generally agree, however I do marvel at how quickly Republicans “Swift Boated” Bergdahl.
I’m sure we will get another permanent investigation out of this.
@rudderpedals:
If by “diplomatic” you mean “saying things that are entirely untrue,” I agree.
I’m glad that Bergdahl is home, but it was utterly absurd of her to lionize him the way that she did given what was already known at the time.
Do you know what message NOT negotiating sends in the real world?
Kill them all. There’s no point in survivors.
I don’t entirely disagree with you on Bergdahl in general, Doug, but I cannot believe that we have ANOTHER scandal borne of talking points on Sunday shows.
We’re a nation of idiots, governed by assh*les.
These days all most “issue” polls really tell you is where people are most likely getting their information from … and/or what their preferred ideology is. Many of the very same people who are blasting the the President for securing Bergdahl’s release were in the not so distant past blasting the President for “leaving him behind”. In other words, they don’t disapprove of any specific thing the President does, they disapprove of everything he has done, is doing and will do in the future.
@Todd:
Can I just be the first (or maybe third, or nth) to admit I had no clue who this guy was before the Rose Garden press conference? If you had an “informed” opinion about getting him back before he was gotten back, that betrays how deep into the woods you were, whether those woods were blue or red or some crazy libertarian orange.
Susan Rice did say one true thing Sunday:
You can take it to the bank that all the people now talking about “the law” and “how bad the deal is” would be giving the Administration holy hell if it had delayed the returnof Bierdahl because of “the law” or because it was holding out for a “better deal” and Bierdahl died. That’s as certain as 2+2=4. Better the Administration take the heat for getting Bierdahl back safe, I say.
I saw a tweet yesterday congratulating the President on turning Bergdahl into the “most hated American soldier ever”. This is how far down the rabbit hole we’ve gone. It’s also pretty shameful the way everyone seems to think Rice shouldn’t be allowed to do her job just because the Republican noise machine insists she did something wrong on Benghazi (I do not share that view). Do we not remember how quickly Shirley Sherrod was thrown under the bus? So who’s next? The one thing I do not like about this administration is it’s tendency to cower from any attack from the right instead of standing up and defending itself.
For years Republicans have been screaming that Obama should do everything under the sun to free this man, including exchancing prisoners.
Then Obama did it.
And Republicans started screaming that he is a traitor and it’s outrageous that he was freed.
Oh, sorry. Not just Republicans. The very same Republicans who had been screaming at Obama to get him freed.
So, yeah, Doug. The problem is with Obama’s messaging.
@Doug Mataconis:
Who cares what Susan Rice said on the Sunday shows no one watches…….I mean, we’re back to this?
Echoes of Benghazi……
(Also, I’m not sure the public is divided so much as one side is being completely obnoxious and the other is being completely cowed. I’m not sticking up for Bergdahl, that’s for sure. It would be wiser to wave raw meat in front of a rabid dog.)
@wr:
To your point on the fast reverse face, I give you:
http://gawker.com/angry-conservatives-forgot-their-old-angry-tweets-suppo-1586150981
[h/t C. Calvin]
@beth:
The only advantage that used to be gleaned from the tactic of letting attacks from the Right go unanswered is that sometimes the attacks were so egregiously stupid and preposterous that the doctrine of “Res Ipsa Loquitur” applied – the stupidity spoke for itself. Well that used to be the case. These days the public just accepts as truth whatever goes unanswered.
@Matt Bernius:
Even more pathetic than private citizens are the Congresspersons who initially praised the deal but who are now scrubbing their Twitter accounts and websites after they got the latest memo:
Then there is this jackalope:
Compared to these people, Rice is a model of consistency and truthtelling.
To be honest, I do understand why Obama was caught flatfooted by this complete turnaround. Still, he should have had a Plan B. I mean its not the first time the Republicans have supported a particular action, then went 180 on it once Obama embraced it.
@Tillman:
Until recently, my awareness of Private Bergdahl’s situation was pretty much limited to official briefings (that there was a POW still out there) during my own time in Afghanistan. lol, when it comes to political BS, I try to stay as far away from “the woods” as I can. Heck, I don’t even stop by this blog very often anymore. 😉
Brian Buetler thinks the Republicans may already be overreaching on this, and that a backlash may develop to the backlash:
The right wing better hope that what Berghdahl’s teammates said about him was gospel, and that there isn’t a sympathetic explanation for his actions. Even if there isn’t, the character assassination by the right and the attack on his parents can’t be going down well with the American people.
@stonetools:
I wish that were so.
The righties in my circle are not only eating up the character assassination, they’re indulging in it themselves. They’ve already accepted the deserter charges as gospel, which means anything contrary is already heresy.
We’re not going to see the best in the American people on this one. We’re going to see the worst.
I wonder how much of the outcry over Bergdahl is related to our upcoming midterms.
@Todd: Ah. Well then you have a good, non-woods reason.
@stonetools:
Dude. It won’t matter. At this point, the truth is irrelevant. The narrative is already gospel. I mean, this stuff happens on the left, too, but I’m hard pressed to find an example as crass as this. I’m honestly open to one, if anyone has a good analog to this Bergdahl nonsense
@Tillman:
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.