Sure, Let's Have Another War

I wonder how long it will take the wingers and neocons to jump on this one.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of U.S. voters nationwide favor a military response to eliminate North Korea’s missile launching capability. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 15% of voters oppose a military response while 28% are not sure.

North Korea defied international pressure and launched a missile last night. Officials from that country claim a satellite was placed in orbit. U.S. defense officials confirm that a missile was launched but that no object was placed in orbit.

"With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations,” President Obama said.

The telephone survey was conducted Friday and Saturday, April 3-4, the two days immediately prior to North Korea’s launch. The question asked about a military response if North Korea actually did launch a long-range missile.

Support for a military response comes from 66% of Republicans, 52% of Democrats and 54% of those not affiliated with either major political party. There is no gender gap on the issue as a military response is favored by 57% of men and 57% of women.

So what, are we supposed to blast Pyonyang into dust? Then what? Methinks we can't exactly afford a Second Korean War on top of the two and a half wars we have right now with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. But here's the depressing part:

Seventy-three percent (73%) are at least somewhat concerned that North Korea will use nuclear weapons against the United States. That’s up just a few points from 69% who held that view in October 2006. Prior to that survey, North Korea had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test.

Currently, 39% are Very Concerned about a possible nuclear attack from North Korea.

So yeah, apparently a whole hell of a lot of us are concerned about Korean nukes blowing up Joliet or Boulder or Tallahassee. Once again, thanks Dubya! Couldn't have done it without ya. Let's push for another war! After all, we still have unemployed neocons looking for something to do, well here you go guys. This seems like a no-brainer to me...

That'll be a great idea!

Seriously. This seems like the dumbest poll ever. As Bob Farley points out at LGM:

Ahem. If you believe that 75% of the registered voters in the United States were closely following the North Korean missile launch on Friday, then I have a tea party to sell you.

When you have a poll that suggests that 40% of registered voters have been following a national security event "very closely," and then you note that the poll was taken before the missile launch even occurred, you should know that there's a problem somewhere...

This reveals how useless polling on obscure issues can be. Rasmussen would have us believe that more people want us to go to war with North Korea than favor the current wars in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

In other words, none of this makes any sort of sense whatsoever. Oh but it gets worse. Guess who wants us to attack North Korea now?

This is farcically stupid; although it appears that Newt Gingrich came out in favor of a preventive strike on North Korea, it's a position that's held by approximately zero policymakers on either side of the aisle. That said, I'd love to see the Republicans try to run in 2010 on a platform of starting a third unpopular war...

And yet we already have Republicans like Newtie trying to do just that.