Swing Voters See Through the Smoke and Mirrors

PIPA today released the results of their poll that examined swing voters' beliefs that Bush was truthful about Iraq in his SOTU. U.S. Newswire gives a summary of the findings. Excerpts:

COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- An analysis of recent polls conducted by Program on International Policy Attitudes/Knowledge Networks finds that swing voters are considerably more critical of Bush's handling of Iraq than the general population, with majorities saying that Bush was being misleading when he presented evidence to justify going to war and questioning the necessity of going to war. Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes of the University of Maryland comments, "The president is in some trouble with swing voters." Swing voters were defined as respondents who said they were extremely confident that they would vote in the upcoming election and identified themselves as independents.

Swing voters are more critical of Bush's handling of Iraq than is the general population. While the general public leans toward giving him positive ratings overall (49 percent positive, 33 percent negative) swing voters lean toward giving him negative ratings (38 percent positive, 46 percent negative). Among swing voters 52 percent said the US government was being misleading and just as many -- 53 percent -- said President Bush was being misleading when they "presented the evidence to justify going to war with Iraq." Among the general public 42 percent said the US government was being misleading and only 36 percent said this was true of President Bush.

Unlike the general public, a slight majority of swing voters say that the war with Iraq was not necessary. In one question 47 percent said the war was necessary while 51 percent said it was not necessary. Among the general public 53 percent said it was necessary, while 44 percent said it was not necessary.