Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters nationwide now disagree with President Barack Obama’s decision to close the prison camp for suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, conducted after the President’s speech on Guantanamo last week, shows that 38% agree with his decision. Just 25% share the President’s view that the Guantanamo camp weakened national security. Fifty-one percent (51%) disagree with that perspective. And, by a 57% to 28% margin, voters oppose moving any of the suspected terrorists to prisons in the United States. Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party strongly oppose transfers to U.S. prisons. Democrats are evenly divided. Just 15% now say the President is Very Likely to close the prison camp during his first year in office while 6% say that is Not at All Likely to happen. Two-thirds of the nation’s voters are not so sure—35% say the President is Somewhat Likely to close the prison camp while 30% say he is Not Very Likely to do so. Those figures reflect a sharp drop in expectations about closing the facility. ***********0000ff]Last November[/COLOR], 49% said that then President-elect Obama was Very Likely to close it during his first year in office. Another 21% said he was somewhat likely to do so and only 12% thought that outcome was unlikely to occur. The support for keeping Guantanamo’s prison camp open declined from 59% ***********0000ff]last summer[/COLOR] to 49% last November to 42% in January. In fact, shortly after the President announced his intention to close the camp, a narrow plurality agreed with him. Since then, the trends have moved in the opposite direction. The number who want to keep the facility open increased from 42% in January to 46% in ***********0000ff]April[/COLOR] and 49% now. The number who agree with the President’s position has fallen from 44% in January to 38% today. Most Democrats (61%) now agree with the President on this issue. However, 79% of Republicans and 54% of unaffiliateds hold the opposite view. Fifty-two percent (52%) say they’re following news coverage of this issue Very Closely and 31% say they’re following it Somewhat Closely. Interest in the story is higher among Republicans and unaffiliateds than among Democrats
It made a good campaign pledge, and sounded like a good idea at the time, but when you peel back the onion, Gitmo makes sense. History will show that Bush was of course, correct on this one. European nations who were critical are not stepping up to take prisoners, and neither are Governors of US states. We already have evidence that some of those released have gotten right back into the fight.
How many percent would have to agree in order to really close down Guantanamo? I'm not sure about the laws in this matter
Not sure, but right now most agree NOT to do it: Guantanamo closure funds stripped by Senate, 90-6 Senators on Wednesday followed through with their vow to deny the Obama administration the necessary money to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/guantanamo-closure-funds-stripped-by-senate-90-6-2009-05-20.html
Why do 50% of people have to agree to do what's right? The arguments against them are born from people's fear. And we all know where fear of the masses got us. Fear makes people more susceptible to zealotry ie. Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler.....the rise of Communism and Guantanomo Bay. Doing what's right doesn't always ease your fear but it should sooth your sense of justice.
What people do not understand about Guantanamo Bay is that the blueprint used to build the facilities in Cuba came from two "Super Maximum Security" prisons in the United States...one in Indiana and the other one I"m not sure...either Michigan, NJ or NY. In other words, it is not any more secure than prisons that we have here. Let us also remember that all of the detainees would not be placed in one location the way they are right now. Besides that, between MS-13, Norteno, Sureno, Aryan Nation, Crip and Blood along with other American/Latin American gangs...who would likely be far greater in number...I would expect that the Al-Qaeda prisoners would likely be separated simply to protect their lives...but even mixed in the general population...escape would be highly unlikely...and they'd be far more prone to cooperate since their stay would be much less pleasant. Lets also remember that we have had terrorists in American prisons (they happen to be American born...but a terrorist does not have to be Arab or Muslim...can anyone say Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols who were BOTH ARMY VETERANS or Unibomber Ted Kaczynski?) I think we like the idea of Gitmo because we don't have to really know what happens...and frankly most of us don't care...as long as we are safe in cushy neighborhoods and have access to whatever we desire when we desire it...we are content to reside a the cocoon that is the U.S.A. I wonder how we'd feel if Iran decided to build a "detainment" center off the coast of New York so that they could interrogate people captured in Iran (from various nations) that are suspected of trying to commit acts the mullahs and Ahmedinajad thought were "terroristic." It never really sounds the same when someone else is doing it methinks...
It may or may not be the right decision but the Senators are scared that some of the "bad guys" might end up in their backyard...I doubt any of them are voting no out of anything other than self-preservation. That's politics though...
It doesn't matter it should be closed down I bet you if Obama got out there and made a argument for the closing that number will come down. We have to restore our standing in the world we have trampled over all our own believes. That place is a symbol of everything that went wrong during the Bush administration we have lost credibility now it's time to get it back and like Obama said he is going to close it period. The president sometimes have to excercise the correct moral authority and do what's right. He can't make policy decisions based of polls if that's the case the civil rights bill would have never been sighned or interracial marriages wouldn't exist the majority is often wrong in society.
Gitmo is nothing like the super max in the US. Super Max's are 23 hr lock down and almost no contact with other prisoners. Gitmo they are allowed to eat together and rec together. They even have call to prayers and pray together. Escape isnt as big an issue as infection. They will be protected by the other Muslims in there and unfortunately, they will be looked at as Imams, Wazirs and their extremist Wahabi views will be spread amonst the others who are looking for guidance. All you would have to do to know how they will be treated is to look at the first trade center bombers. For the most part the other gangs to not mess with the Muslims.
"You have Muslims....then you have Double Muslims. Double Muslims, them's the ones you don't want to fuck with—dem double Muslims. 'Cause them motherfuckers can't wait to get to Allah. And want to take eight or nine motherfuckers with 'em." Richard Pryor, performing stand-up comedy in 1982
Bush agrees with Obama in closing Gitmo. He was trying to close Gitmo between 2004 and 2006. he stop waterboarding around 2003 ( you conservatives if waterboarding kept us safe why did they stop. you dont stop doing something that works) Those released that got back into the fight were less than 4% of the released. I would rather for them to go back and fight so we can have a second chance at killing them bitches. Also why hold people that were no doubt civilians that had nothing to do with the war or terrorism. that is inhuman and unconstitutional. you will be making enemies into those who were neutral. 49 % disagrees with Obama meaning 51% agrees with him.
