ICYMI: The Hill: Poll: Most voters oppose closing Guantanamo
A new survey from Rasmussen confirms that the American people broadly disapprove of President Obama’s reckless plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Naval Base and bring the dangerous terrorists currently being held there to U.S. soil. This is consistent with previous polling on the issue, which has shown broad disapproval of President Obama’s handling of this national security issue.
NRCC Comment: “The American people remain strongly opposed to President Obama’s plan to bring dangerous terrorists to U.S. soil. House Democrats will have to choose whether to listen to their constituents and oppose President Obama’s reckless plan, or support a lame duck president’s desperate attempt to fulfill a promise to his liberal base as he heads for the exit.” –NRCC Spokesman Bob Salera
Poll: Most voters oppose closing Guantanamo
The Hill
Rebecca Kheel
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/270737-poll-most-voters-oppose-closing-guantanamo
A majority of voters oppose closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, according to a survey released Thursday.
The Rasmussen Reports poll, conducted after President Obama unveiled his long-awaited plan to shutter the facility, found that 56 percent of respondents do not want it closed.
The same percentage said that detainees should not be moved to the United States in order to facilitate the closure and that releasing detainees has made the United States less safe.
There are 91 detainees there now, down from a height of nearly 800.
Obama’s plan, released Tuesday, would transfer some detainees abroad, continue prosecuting others and move the rest to a facility stateside.
Republican lawmakers slammed the proposal, calling it vague and dangerous.
The poll released Thursday shows an increase in opposition from when Obama first took office and pledged to close the facility.
In 2009, Rasmussen found 44 percent of voters supported closing the facility, compared to 42 percent who opposed.
In Thursday’s poll, 80 percent of Republicans said they don’t think the facility should be closed.
Meanwhile, 48 percent of Democrats said it should, compared to 35 percent who said it shouldn’t.
Republicans were also staunchly opposed to transferring detainees to the United States, with 75 percent saying that shouldn’t happen.
For Democrats, 47 percent supported bringing detainees stateside, while 40 percent opposed.
On detainees who have been released, 79 percent of Republicans said they think the United States is less safe.
A plurality of Democrats, 46 percent, said the releases have had no effect on the safety of United States, while 33 percent said it made the country less safe and 11 percent said more safe.
The survey 1,000 likely voters was done Tuesday and Wednesday. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.