The Numbers
A Run at the Latest Data from ABC's Poobah of Polling, Gary Langer
Gary Langer is director of polling at ABC News, where he's covered the beat of public opinion for nearly 20 years - conducting and analyzing ABC News polls, evaluating data from other sources and setting the news division's standards for poll reporting. Langer has won two Emmy awards for ABC's reporting of public opinion polls in Iraq, and The Numbers blog was honored this year as winner of the 2008 Iowa Gallup Award for Excellent Journalism Using Polls.
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Broad Backing for Cuba Relations
April 27, 2009 6:41 AM
President Obama’s overtures to Cuba are one of the ways he’s hit the zeitgeist in his first 100 days: Six in 10 Americans approve of the way he’s handling U.S. relations with the island nation, and most favor far more dramatic moves.
Sixty-six percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say the United States should establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. Somewhat fewer, but still majorities, support lifting the trade embargo and travel restrictions, 57 and 55 percent, respectively.
Those aren’t entirely new views; as many supported diplomatic relations in a Gallup poll in 2006, and 58 percent supported ending travel restrictions as long ago as an ABC News poll in 2000. Majority support for ending the trade embargo, though, appears new.
Obama in mid-April lifted travel and remittance restrictions on Cuban-Americans and opened the door for U.S. telecommunications companies to do business there; he later said he seeks “a new beginning” with Cuba. Cuban President Raul Castro responded that he was "willing to discuss everything – human rights, freedom of press, political prisoners, everything.” And Sunday, The New York Times reported that State Department and Cuban diplomats planned informal talks to see if formal discussions between the two governments could be held.
Opening U.S.-Cuba relations earns far greater skepticism among Republicans and conservatives than other Americans, but only on one issue does opposition reach a majority – an end to travel restrictions, which 55 percent of Republicans oppose (vs. 40 percent support). That could reflect Republicans’ heightened concerns about illegal immigration; unrestricted travel means Cubans could visit the United States, as well as Americans visiting Cuba.
Republican opposition eases on the other avenues – a 47-46 percent split (support/oppose) on diplomatic relations and a 36-49 percent division on open trade, with more opposed than in favor but a substantial 15 percent undecided.
Conservatives, for their part, split 51-42 percent on establishing diplomatic relations, with more in favor than opposed, and divide evenly on lifting both trade and travel restrictions. Each wins broad support from other sides of the political and ideological spectrums – Democrats, independents, liberals and moderates alike.
The majority’s view on Cuba matches related attitudes on international affairs. In this same poll, for example, 71 percent of Americans say they favor Obama’s willingness to meet with leaders of foreign nations that have been hostile toward the United States.
April 27, 2009 in President Obama | Permalink | User Comments (5)
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Democrats should NEVER have tax problems, if they follow their own beliefs they should pay 100 percent of their taxes and not take a single deduction.
Posted by: doggie | Apr 27, 2009 8:10:01 AM
Cuba may of been the country for the working man where only the politicians were allowed to be rich.
The Democrats and Obama certainly have become the party of the rich.
Posted by: rudolg | Apr 27, 2009 8:17:28 AM
Wow, a mere 50 years of being a favorite target for U.S. terrorist attacks and I guess the threat has been removed, no more fear of crisis of democracy breaking out. Mary.
Posted by: mary57mmm | Apr 30, 2009 11:14:16 AM
By all means, travel to Cuba when it happens. But don't just stay in the potamkin resorts. If they'll let you, visit the real Cuba where the people get by on an average wage of $50 a month working in slave labor conditions. Probably not, they will beat the stuffings out of you if you try, That's the Cuba Michael Moore didn't dare show. Also, don't take any book written by Martin Luther King, they are banned as subversive. Viva la revolución !
Posted by: realitycheck99 | May 1, 2009 3:19:27 AM
For nearly fifty years the Cubans have been enslavad by a Marxist,Leninist,Stalinist,Castroist ideology of communist propoganda,and stuck in a time-warp era, and over-educated without making use of their ambition, However the question is who will liberate them? will they liberate themselves?.If they look back in their history they will see who freed them of their colonial past.
Posted by: Christino | May 2, 2009 5:40:07 AM
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