Iran, Top Threat to US

Nearly one-out-of-three voters (32%) now regard Iran as the biggest threat to U.S. national security, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

That’s up 10 points from a month ago, when Iran was virtually tied with North Korea on the lists of countries U.S. voters were most concerned about. Last week, the United States and its allies disclosed the existence of a secret Iranian nuclear plant and stepped up efforts to shut down that country’s nuclear program which is suspected of developing nuclear weapons.

Republicans are more suspicious of Iran than Democrats and voters not affiliated with either major party.

Just 19% of all voters now list North Korea as a bigger threat to U.S. national security, followed by China at 14%. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Russia all rate single-digit levels of concern.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of voters say President Obama has not been aggressive enough in responding to Iran’s nuclear program. In mid-August, 70% of Americans said Iran is an enemy of the United States, putting it second only to North Korea on the U.S. enemies list.

For the second month in a row, 55% of voters say they expect the war in Afghanistan to get worse in the next six months, up from 42% in June. The president and his advisers are currently conducting a high-profile debate over whether to send more troops to Afghanistan as the top U.S. military commander there has requested.

Just 18% say the situation in Afghanistan will get better in the next six months, while 27% expect it to remain about the same. Seventy percent (70%) of GOP voters say the situation in Afghanistan will get worse in the next six months, compared to 45% of Democrats and 51% of unaffiliateds.

Americans are closely divided over whether the United States should send more troops to fight the war in Afghanistan. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say yes to sending more troops, while 40% say no. Most Democrats oppose sending more troops, while most Republicans feel otherwise.

Always Returning to Bush

Fifty-five percent (55%) of likely voters say the nation’s current economic problems are due to the recession which began under President George W. Bush, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) say the current economic problems are caused by the policies President Obama has put in place since taking office. These findings have remained relatively stable since May.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Democratic voters blame Bush; 65% of Republicans blame Obama. Fifty percent (50%) of unaffiliated voters attribute the current economic situation to the Bush administration.

Still, when it comes to economic issues affecting the nation, 59% of voters trust themselves more than the president, up 10 points from early February. Just 29% trust Obama more. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of GOP voters and 72% of unaffiliateds trust themselves more. Fifty-five percent (55%) of Democrats have more confidence in the president.

Data from the latest Rasmussen Consumer Index shows that just 29% of adults say economic conditions in the United States are getting better while 45% say they are getting worse. Thirty-six percent (36%) of voters say the $787-billion economic stimulus package approved by Congress in February has helped the economy, the highest level of confidence yet measured.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of adults believe the U.S. economy will be stronger in five years than it is today. That figure is down from 58% in July and 64% in March. For nearly two years, the economy has been number one on a list of 10 issues regularly surveyed by Rasmussen Reports. But government ethics and corruption now top the list, with economic issues a close second.

Desperfectos momentáneos de la Gürtel (II)

… vayamos rematando las observaciones relativas a las descacharrantes secuelas de la Gürtel:

1. ¿Qué hay de cierto en eso de que “si cae Camps, queda Barberá”? ¿Quiere decir eso que queda sólo Barberá o que Rita es la primera de la lista de sucesores?

2. ¿Y esa eventual lista es larga o corta? ¿Y es “de nivel” o “de aliño”?

3. ¿Qué implicaciones tendrá el hecho de que los jefes provinciales del PP en Castellón, Valencia y Alicante estén reclamando más protagonismo en las decisiones de Camps, lo que se da ya por hecho indubitado desde el grupo PRISA?

4. ¿Sería muy estrafalario pensar que Camps, valga la redundancia, está pensando ya en un sustituto que valga como recambio al frente del gobierno antes de llegar a las próximas elecciones? 

5. ¿Sería buena o mala para el Partido Popular una crisis que lleve a Camps a su casa? ¿Depende de la gestión de esa crisis? ¿Por qué? ¿Hasta qué punto?

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