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Senior Journal - Today's News and Information for Senior Citizens

More Senior Citizen News and Information Than Any Other Source - SeniorJournal.com

Today is Wednesday, November 12, 2008

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Gallup Poll

Seniors 50-64 Among Groups Least Likely to Support Iraq War

March 28, 2003 - Senior citizens in the 50 to 64 age group and young adults are among the least  likely to support the attack on Iraq compared to other age groups of U.S. Citizens, according to a new Gallup Poll.

Earlier polls by Gallup had shown the oldest Americans – 65 and older – were one of the strongest groups opposed to the war. Now that war has started, 73% of this group is in support of the war. The average range of support is 72%.

There is surprising inconsistency by age group -- approval of the war is lowest among 18- to 29-year-olds, at 66%, and highest among 30- to 49-year-olds, at 75%. Sixty-nine percent of 50- to 64-year-olds favor the war effort, as do 73% of those aged 65 and older.

Opinion on U.S. War With Iraq by Demographic Group

 

Favor

Oppose

Sample Size

 

%

%

 

Overall

72

25

2,028

 

 

 

 

Republican

93

5

750

Conservative

84

13

892

Income $30,000 to less than $50,000

79

19

455

Men

78

20

964

White

78

20

1,673

Reside in West

77

21

441

Some college education

77

21

587

Income $50,000 or greater

77

21

960

Have children under 18

76

22

394

30-49 years old

75

23

844

Suburban

75

22

1,030

Rural

75

22

452

65 years and older

73

25

353

Reside in Midwest

73

24

474

High school education or less

72

26

644

Reside in South

71

26

656

Moderate

70

27

744

No children under 18

70

26

619

50-64 years old

69

27

517

College graduate only

69

28

367

Women

66

32

1,064

18-29 years old

66

32

301

Reside in East

66

32

457

Independent

66

31

667

Other race

63

34

114

Urban

62

36

546

Postgraduate education

60

38

419

Income less than $30,000

58

38

507

Democrat

53

44

584

Liberal

44

54

369

Black

29

68

141

Following is the rest of the Gallup Report

The beginning of war with Iraq brought about a rally in support for military action, from percentages in the high 50s prior to the breakdown of the diplomatic process to the current 71% who say they favor the war. A closer look at the data from two Gallup Polls conducted since the war began shows that a majority of most demographic groups favor the war, with two exceptions being blacks and ideological liberals. Opposition among blacks is especially widespread, at 68%. Wide gaps in support also exist by party, gender, education, and income. A special analysis reveals that the strongest independent predictor of opinion on the war is approval of President Bush, followed by race, ideology, party, and income.

Support for the War by Group

Seventy-eight percent of men favor the war, compared with 66% of women -- a 12-percentage-point gap. Gender gaps have traditionally been evident in support for military action, although those gaps have narrowed in the post-Sept. 11 world. However, the current difference in support by gender is nearly identical to what it was at the beginning of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Then, a 10-point gap existed, as 86% of men and 76% of women approved of the United States' decision to go to war with Iraq to drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait.

The racial gap -- more appropriately called a racial divide -- is much larger than the gender gap. While 78% of whites favor the war, just 29% of blacks do, for a gap of 49 points. Nearly 7 in 10 blacks, 68%, oppose the war.

About two in three Americans residing in the East favor the war, the lowest level of support among the four regions of the country. This compares with 73% support in the Midwest, 71% in the South, and 77% in the West.

Throughout much of the prelude to the war, Americans with postgraduate educations were among the groups least in favor of military action against Iraq, and that is still the case now. Although a majority of postgraduates, 60%, favor the war, that level of support is significantly lower than that found in other educational groups. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans at other levels of educational attainment favor the war -- 69% of college graduates with no postgraduate education, 77% of those who attended college but did not receive a degree, and 72% of those who did not attend college at all.

There are clear income differences in the data. Among those whose household incomes are less than $30,000, just 58% favor the war. This compares with 78% of those whose incomes exceed $30,000 (there is essentially no difference in support among income groups above the $30,000 threshold).

Political leanings have always been a major factor in support for the military action against Iraq, and that trend continues. Ninety-three percent of Republicans favor the war, compared with 66% of independents and 53% of Democrats. Similarly, 84% of conservatives favor the war, as do 70% of moderates but only 44% of liberals. A majority of political liberals, 54%, oppose the war.

The starkest difference occurs when the data are divided according to Americans' evaluations of President Bush. Ninety-two percent of Americans who approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president favor the war. Among those who disapprove of Bush, 21% favor the war and 76% oppose it.

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