Polls Show Broad Opposition to U.S. Strikes in Syria
When Secretary of State John Kerry outlined the Obama administration's case for military strikes against Syria last week, he acknowledged that "the American people are tired of war."
Kerry, of course, dismissed the public's war-weariness. But it's worth emphasizing just how opposed Americans are to taking military action in Syria. Every recent poll shows broad opposition to strikes against Syria.
A RealClearPolitics average of polling data on the question find that opposition outweighs support by more than 17 points, with 51.3 percent against strikes and just 34 percent in favor.
The RCP average comes from polls by Reuters/Ipsos, Pew Research, ABC News/Washington Post, and NBC, all of which find that the public opposes strikes by big margins.
NBC News finds the most support, with 42 percent in favor of military intervention. But that still trails opposition by eight points. (NBC's poll also used the smallest sample.)
The ABC/Washington Post poll, released yesterday afternoon, shows the most opposition, with 59 percent of respondents opposed to strikes and just 36 percent in favor.
Polls by Pew Research and Reuters/Ipsos both find that just 29 percent support taking action against Syria, while 48 percent oppose.
A HuffPost/YouGov poll taken a few days earlier and not included in the RCP average puts support for air strikes at just 25 percent, and opposition at 41 percent.
Obama and his aides are currently making the case for war to Congress. But the administration has clearly failed to make the case to the American people. Regardless of what happens on the Hill, if seems clear that if Obama takes the nation to war, it won't be with the support of the public.