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A new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds the sharpest change is in anger. As the war began, 30 percent of Americans were angry about it; today, asked about the situation in Iraq, 57 percent are angry — almost twice as many. Anger is highest — 70 percent — among the roughly half of Americans who think that, given its costs versus its benefits, the war was not worth fighting.
 | | Sampling, data collection and tabulation for this poll were done by TNS. |
Despite broad concerns about the current situation, 62 percent of Americans remain hopeful about Iraq; that's down, though, from 80 percent at the start of the war. And 41 percent describe themselves as "proud" about the situation; it was 53 percent when the war began.
Two other emotions are level: 67 percent are worried and 37 percent are frightened about the situation, both about the same as when the war began.
Groups
There are enormous differences among groups in these responses to the events in Iraq. Women are twice as likely as men to be frightened about the situation, and also far more likely to be angry and worried about it.
Hopefulness is vastly higher among Republicans (82 percent) than among independents or Democrats (57 and 50 percent, respectively). Republicans also are far more apt to be proud — 63 percent, compared with four in 10 independents and a quarter of Democrats. Democrats, and independents as well, are more apt to be angry, worried and frightened.
Many of these views also are dependent on opinions of whether the war was worth fighting, and on whether the administration has a clear plan for dealing with the situation now. For instance, among those who see a clear plan, 86 percent are hopeful and 71 percent are proud; among those who don't see a clear plan — nearly six in 10 Americans — only about half as many are hopeful, and just two in 10 express pride.
Views Of the War / Situation in Iraq |
| | 5/04 | 3/03 | Change |
| | | | |
| Angry | 57 | 30 | +27 |
| Hopeful | 62 | 80 | -18 |
| Proud | 41 | 53 | -12 |
| Worried | 67 | 64 | +3 |
| Frightened | 37 | 36 | +1 | | |
People who don't see a clear plan in Iraq also are 30 points likelier to be angry about the situation there, and 26 points more apt to be worried about it.
Changes
Some of the changes from March 2003 have occurred across groups. Men are 24 points more likely to be angry now; the change among women is about the same — up 29 points. Anger is up by 26 points among Democrats, and also by 21 points among Republicans (and by 29 points among independents). And it's up by 20 points among war supporters, as well as by 21 points among war opponents.
Other changes do show more differences among groups. Hopefulness has dropped by 22 points among women, compared with 14 points among men; and by 24 points among Democrats, compared with 11 points among Republicans. Pride has fallen farther among men than among women, and farther among Democrats than among Republicans.
There are, naturally, political ramifications to these views. Among people who are angry about the situation in Iraq, for instance, just 35 percent approve of the way George W. Bush is handling his job overall. Among those who aren't angry, his approval rating is 29 points higher, 64 percent.
Methodology
This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone May 20-23 among a random national sample of 1,005 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation was done by TNS of Horsham, Pa.
See previous analyses and details of the poll's methodology in our Poll Vault.
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