Despite a new wave of anti-American violence and assassinations in Afghanistan, the war is the last thing on the public’s mind going into the Super Tuesday series of elections and caucuses in 10 states.
Of 10 critical issues voters were asked about in a new Rasmussen poll, the war came out on the bottom, a sobering sign for President Obama and the Pentagon of how little the public is paying attention to the situation there. Just 27 percent of likely voters said the war was “very important” to them as an election issue. Some 23 percent said the war was “not very important.”
The war has rarely been the top concern of voters, but it is surprising that it is dead last considering the clashes and murders of Americans in the crisis started February 20 when some Qurans were mistakingly burned by U.S. troops. President Obama apologized for the episode.
Instead, the economy is the top issue as Americans struggle with joblessness, high gas prices and a continued housing crisis. Rasmussen found that 82 percent find the economy “very important,” followed by 62 percent who put health care as their second biggest concern.
Interestingly, said Rasmussen, is that ethics and corruption in government is now the third biggest concern, with 61 percent calling it “very important” in his telephone poll of 1,000 voters taken last week.
Below are the top 10 election issues classified as “very important” by likely voters in the Rasmussen poll.
1. Economy, 82 percent.
2. Health care, 62 percent.
3. Government ethics and corruption, 61 percent.
4. Taxes, 60 percent.
5. Energy policy, 54 percent.
6. Education, 54 percent.
7. Social Security, 53 percent.
8. National security and the war on terror, 50 percent.
9. Immigration, 45 percent.
10. Afghanistan, 27 percent.
