America Not Sold On Obama's "Kinetic Military Action"

Editor Update: The following info from Rasmussen Reports supplements the Gallup info referenced by Mr. Bauer. Gallup reports that "just 28% of Likely U.S. Voters think Libya is a vital national security interest for the United States. . . . 42% say Libya is not important to U.S. national security and 29% are not sure. . . . A plurality (45%) also thinks the United States should not get involved in conflicts like Libya for humanitarian reasons when the situation does not directly threaten this country.

---

Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: The Obama Administration won't say that the mission in Libya is a war. But what, then, is it exactly? Yesterday, during a briefing to reporters on Air Force One, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes described our involvement as a "kinetic military action." Whatever you want to call it, most Americans aren't sold on it.

A Gallup poll released yesterday found that 47% of Americans approve of the "current military action against Libya," while 37% disapprove. But here is the most significant finding: According to Gallup, the 47% approval rating is the lowest measure of support for any U.S. military campaign in recent decades.

For example, when President Ronald Reagan bombed Libyan targets in 1986, 71% of Americans approved and 21% disapproved. When George H. W. Bush bombed Iraqi military installations in 1993, 83% of Americans approved, while just 9% disapproved. When George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan in 2001, 90% of American supported the effort, while 5% did not. And when President Bush invaded Iraq in March 2003, 76% of Americans supported the war, while 20% did not.

That only 47% of Americans support the mission suggests at a minimum that President Obama has failed to adequately explain the mission. More troubling for the White House is a new Reuters poll that found only 17% of Americans view Obama as a "strong and decisive" commander-in-chief.

By the way, if you don't think there is any confusion at the White House over Libya, consider this: Fox News reports that just 30 days ago, the White House asked Congress for nearly $2 million in additional foreign aid for Libya. Why? To "train military officers, improve its air force, secure its borders and to counter terrorism."
-------------
Gary Bauer is is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families. This article also appeared in Human Events Bauer was a former Republican presidential candidate and served as President Ronald Reagan’s domestic policy adviser

---

Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Obama Administration, America, Libya, Kinetic, military action, Gallup Poll, Rasmussen Reports To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!