Senator Lugar releases poll --
vast majority of Americans
from both parties want treaty
Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) released a poll Feb. 28 showing an
overwhelming majority of Americans support ratification of the Chemical
Weapons Convention. When asked if the United States Senate should
ratify a treaty which would “ban the production, possession, transfer,
and use of poison gas worldwide,” 84 percent of the respondents said
the treaty should be ratified.
The national survey, conducted
by Wirthlin Worldwide and the Mellman Group, Inc., showed the high
level of support was consistent among both Democrats and Republicans
questioned. In fact, support for this treaty cuts across every
demographic group, and its margin of support has grown nearly 10
points since May. Excerpts from the survey include:
“Three quarters (75%) of Americans say they would vote for
a Senate candidate if that candidate feels the United States
should ratify the chemical weapons treaty, while only a quarter (22%)
would vote for a candidate who feels the treaty should be rejected.
While Democrats and independents are the most likely to vote for a
candidate who supports ratification, even conservative Republicans would
support a politician who wants to approve the treaty by more
than a 2 to 1 margin. |
“Americans reject the argument that this treaty would impose
expensive regulations on law-abiding countries, while rogue nations
would continue to stockpile chemical weapons. In fact, an overwhelming
majority take the position that the treaty to ban the production
and possession of chemical weapons would reduce the risk that American
troops or civilians will be subject to a chemical attack by future
enemies or terrorist groups.”
Senator Lugar said, “Support for the Chemical Weapons Convention
is robust. Not only do Americans feel that they and our troops will
be better prepared, or better protected by such a treaty, but they are
willing to cast their votes for politicians who help make the treaty
international law.... These results should be helpful to members of the
Senate as we approach the debate and a vote on the treaty.”
The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Dallas
Morning News are among the news organizations across the country who
have run the poll results.
The analysis reports the findings from a national survey of 1,000
adults nationwide. The statistical margin of error for the sample as
a whole is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence
level. The survey was commissioned by the Henry L. Stimson Center. |
