2002-10-09-皮尤-Americans_Thinking_About_Iraq,_But_Focused_on_the_Economy_47页_278kb

Summary
This mid-term election preview, released by the Pew Research Center in collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations, examines American public opinion on the potential war with Iraq versus the economy as the primary voter concern. Key findings include:

• Iraq vs. Economy: While Iraq became the most discussed issue in personal conversations (52%), voters during the elections prioritized economic concerns, with 55% mentioning it in their "issues want to hear" survey.
• Mid-term Election Stalemate: The race remains a statistical dead-heat, with voters evenly divided between candidates in their districts. Turnout expectations are comparable to past elections, with little partisan gaps in voter interest.
• Economic Concerns Dominate: 55% of voters cited economic issues as their top priority, while only 22% referenced terrorism or foreign policy (including Iraq). Democrats gained a slight edge on the economy compared to Republicans.
• War on Iraq: A solid majority (62%) supports military action to remove Saddam Hussein, driven by perceptions linking Iraq to terrorism and concerns over weapons. However, nearly half (48%) worry about high U.S. casualties or damage to international image.
• President Bush's Approval: Bush's approval ratings declined (61%), primarily on the economy, despite strong bipartisan support for handling terrorist threats.

The study concludes that while Iraq influences voter discourse and candidacies, the economy and domestic issues remain key factors in the mid-term election.