Entre l’Irak et Katrina, les Américains n’hésitent pas

Un important sondage Wall Street Journal/NBC.News montre que les premières tendances populaires après l’ouragan Katrina se confirment et se renforcent. Il s’agit sans aucun doute d’un tournant vers les préoccupations intérieures. Les résultats de ce sondage, qui ont été publiés hier, montrent essentiellement deux points, qui se complètent l’un l’autre :

• Les Américains établissent un lien direct entre l’Irak et Katrina, estimant que l’Irak doit payer pour Katrina. Cela implique qu’ils jugent que le gouvernement doit transférer une partie de l’argent consacré à l’Irak à la reconstruction de la zone sinistrée.

• Au-delà de l’aspect budgétaire, ce lien a en soi une signification politique parce qu’il implique effectivement un choix de politique, parce que les deux priorités sont liées l’une à l’autre au détriment de l’Irak. Les Américains jugent la crise intérieure plus importante que la crise extérieure par une très forte majorité (« Some 60% say rebuilding the Gulf Coast should be a higher national priority than establishing democracy in Iraq; 5% say Iraq, while 34% say the two are equally important. »).

« A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News Poll1 shows that cutting spending on Iraq is Americans' top choice for financing the recovery from Katrina. Shaken by high gas prices and bracing for further jolts, Americans have turned negative about Mr. Bush across the board — on handling the economy, foreign policy, and even the war on terrorism.

» The president's overall approval has fallen to a record-low for Mr. Bush of 40%, reflecting a shrunken core of base supporters. That promises to have repercussions for his domestic agenda on issues like Social Security, taxes and immigration, and leaves Mr. Bush with a steeper challenge on his most significant second-term priority: using American power and resources to transform Iraq and the broader Middle East. A plurality of Americans has favored reducing troop levels in Iraq for most of the year. Now, 55% favor bringing soldiers home, while just 36% back Mr. Bush's position that current levels should be maintained to help secure peace and stability.

(...)

» Yet the poll's findings about Americans' priorities show the work facing Mr. Bush, who is scheduled to deliver a nationally televised address tonight on the recovery from Katrina. Some 60% say rebuilding the Gulf Coast should be a higher national priority than establishing democracy in Iraq; 5% say Iraq, while 34% say the two are equally important.The White House says the administration can handle both at once, but by 51%-37% Americans say the Iraq war wasn't worth its human and financial costs.

» The proportion of Republicans disapproving of Mr. Bush's job performance has doubled to 15% from 7% in January, with pronounced defections among moderates within Mr. Bush's party. Katrina has contributed to that decline in support. By a 58%-38% margin, Americans say they are dissatisfied with the Bush administration's response to the catastrophe. Reflecting the absence of the traditional rally behind the commander in chief during national emergencies, just 48% approve of the president's handling of the matter; 80% approved of how he handled the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, while 64% backed the actions of his father, President George H.W. Bush, following Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The survey of 1,013 adults, conducted Sept. 9-12, has a margin for error of 3.1 percentage points. »

Mis en ligne le 16 septembre 2005 à 08H25