Poll: Most oppose closing Gitmo

[StrongBad]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-06-01-gitmo_N.htm

-snip-

WASHINGTON — Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to closing the detention center for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay and moving some of the detainees to prisons on U.S. soil, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.
By more than 2-1, those surveyed say Guantanamo shouldn't be closed. By more than 3-1, they oppose moving some of the accused terrorists housed there to prisons in their own states.

The findings underscore the difficult task President Obama faces in convincing those at home that he should follow through on his campaign promise to close the prison in Cuba, especially in the absence of a plan of where the prisoners would go.

-snip

Hopefully Obama still does the right thing, public opinion be damned!

[marmar]

1. Land of the free, home of brave.....my ass.

:argh:

[grantcart]

24. exactly

Talk to people who live in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Thailand where innocent people are getting killed on a regular basis and the US is afraid of having some heavily shackled broken sit in a small cell.


So much for the 2nd ammendment and everyone owning a gun, they are still scared.

[dionysus]

29. do these brain stems think that these guys would be walking down the street, as opposed to residing

in a supermax facility?

[leftynyc]

31. If they watch faux news

that's exactly what they believe.

[Sherman A1]

2. Well,

I oppose closing it as well. I do believe we need to change the residents to the War Criminals of the last 8 years and a sprinkling of CEO's.

[ihavenobias]

3. This is a huge failure on the part of the Dem politicians/strategists overall IMO.

They let yet another issue go to right wing framing and fear mongering.

PS---This is a great on topic article:

[DrToast]

5. Big time

But I'm still shocked at these numbers. Obama campaigned on closing Gitmo and from what I remember it was never a problem during the election.

Maybe because McCain was for it, too.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. Somebody mentioned here that even GWB was for it too.

Although it obviously never happened on his watch- and probably wouldn't even have on McCain's.

Why is it that when (most) Democrats in Congress grow balls and spines and actually decide to hold POTUS accountable, that POTUS always inexplicably happens to be a DEM? When did they ever demand a "plan" from Buscho for Iraq before pouring more taxpayer money into the sand in Iraq? They kept their f*****g powder "dry" during the past 8 years for THIS?????!!!!!!
:wtf:!!!!!!!!!

[DrToast]

18. Exactly!

Bush was for it! How did this get to be controversial?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

20. Maybe it is because of the ongoing Bush/Cheney BS historical revisionism project?

I don't ever remember him saying anything about wanting to close Gitmo.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Dem politicians have bought into the fear mongering. I really couldn't care less if detainees were

housed here. Chicago baby. Truely hardened criminals already live near me. The prison adequately holds them.

[Thrill]

10. Blame the Democrats in the Senate. They left Obama hanging by the balls

[FrenchieCat]

15. It's a huge failing of our Corporate media.....

as this was exactly the result them and the GOP have been working for!

[ihavenobias]

19. Both.

No reason for that recent vote. What was it, 90-6? Pathetically bipartisan.

[Cha]

4. Who really knows if this

poll is accurate? Evidently it was strong factor during the campaign and now people are listening to cheney?

I don't think so.

[Robbins]

7. Fear

People listened to the BS of If you bring some here It will be dangerasyly here.Those can't be tried can be keep In prison here.
And for the record I support releasing any that can't be tried.If you just hold people In prison then you can't complain when iran or North Korea for examples keep people.

[Clio the Leo]

8. Considering what an important issue this was in the campaign, I'm callin' BS on this one...

... (not the OP, the article.)

In order for this to be true, ALL of the right and ALL of the center and SOME of the left have to agree.

I'm not buying it.

[Thrill]

9. This is what happens when the Democrats in the Senate basically stand with the Republicans

to oppose Obama. Fools

[EndElectoral]

11. Then most are wrong.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. Yuck!

If true, it sounds like, defying all reason and logic (not to mention the fact that everybody's communities are already surrounded by prisons housing convicted criminals- some of whom are arguably MUCH more dangerous than Gitmo inmates, some of whom may well be....um....innocent), a lot of people have apparently drunk the "2009 Cheney-NIMBY Kool-Aid" (now fortified with a LOT of Senate Democrats). Geez.........what a bunch of idiots (including, unfortunately, a lot of Senate Democrats). :eyes:

[4lbs]

13. There's a small town in Montana where the entire townspeople voted to accept

a hundred or more of the detainees in their now vacant, new, state-of-the-art, prison.

They were heard stating that they'd rather have these suspected terrorists in the prison than sex offenders or serial killers.

Hmmm......

[Jennicut]

16. Sadly I believe this. The public gets this overhyped fear mongering

by Rethugs and some Dems and they freak out.

[Zomby Woof]

17. NIMBY assholes

[AlexanderProgressive]

21. Thanks, wingnuts and Harry Reid n/t

[ShortnFiery]

22. MSM and Pentagon is full bore in "manufacturing consent."

That's why every other NATION'S populace but the USA was against the Iraqi Invasion.

They didn't have our CORRUPT and paid-for M$M. Guess Who they're working for? :evilgrin:

[Beacool]

23. The failure is of the White House.

They announced closing Guantanamo without an actual plan of action. Details to come.......

That gave fodder to the right to start up with their mantra about how Bush kept us safe for 7 years. Then Congress got jittery when they heard from their constituents and no one wanted these people in their backyard. We all know that Congress is as valiant as the Cowardly Lion.

:eyes:

[Dawgs]

Bullshit. Your anti-Obama rhetoric is failing miserably on this one.

Barack Obama was correct in stating that he would close gitmo; even if he didn't have a plan.

This guy was elected to change things from the beginning, and this is one thing he got right.

Do you agree with anything this guy has done, besides pick Hillary for SOS?

[Dawgs]

30. Dupe.

[Occam Bandage]

32. So it's Obama's fault, because:

1. The Right engaged in propaganda,
2. Congress has no spine, and
3. The American people didn't want Gitmo detainees in their backyards.

I suppose when Obama looks like a nail to someone, well, then every news story looks like a hammer...

[Beacool]

33. No,

but waiting to announce its closure until they had an actual plan would have blunted the attacks. I think that they underestimated the lack of interest of other nations to take in these people. Also, that Americans may not approve of torture, but still don't necessarily want the detainees in their state.

[telmerc]

25. I believe Gitmo should remain open

I know that makes me a minority here, but walk a mile in my shoes with 3 tours in Iraq getting blown up 4 times on those tours. Patriots or not, people in Iraq tried to kill me. Granted I am a legitmate target, but I am not a big fan of turning the other cheek towards people for trying to kill, even if I went to war based on a lie. I would want them to rot. IMHO, my life is more important that theirs, and I would expect them to feel the same way about me.

Well now I've gone down a logic hole that makes no sense, but no matter, Gitmo does serve a purpose for a few jihadist individuals that have done unspeakable things that make Stephen Greens treatment of Abeer look like a picnic..............For that reason alone I don't mind if the President keeps it open.

[Beacool]

28. I happen to agree with you.

The prisoners in Guantanamo should receive due diligence and a fair trial. If convicted, then I don't see a problem in keeping them there as long as conditions are as humane as they are in the States.

There ARE evil people in the world and some of them do want us dead. It's not all just right wing rhetoric. I was in the North Tower when a plane was embedded in it and the second plane crashed before my eyes while I was passing the Hilton Millennium Hotel. I saw enough people die that day to fully know that we are hated by certain groups and that they will do anything in their power to try it again.

Thank you for your service and for putting your life on the line for all of us.

:hi:

[quantass]

26. When the MSM speak sthe People Listen -- All Hail the Idiot Box!

Once again, Republicans and their consistent message that gets played ad naseum (and in step) all over the media so much so that even the democrats fall in line...and onec again the public falls for the song and dance. "Dance Monkey Dance..." and so he has...look at all those smiles in the crowd....Someone needs to remind the American people that everything on it isn't real

[Political Heretic]

27. Blows my mind.