Rasmussen Poll: Only 20% Support Libya Military Action

Just 20 percent of Americans now support continued U.S. military action in Libya, a new low — down from 26 percent in June and 24 percent in July, a new Rasmussen Reports poll reveals.

For the first time, a majority of voters — 52 percent — oppose continued American military action in the North African country, while 28 percent are not sure.

Only 33 percent of voters now give the Obama administration good or excellent marks for its handling of the Libya crisis, down from 36 percent last month and the lowest positive rating since President Obama announced his decision to intervene in March, while 31 percent give the administration a poor rating, according to the Rasmussen survey of likely voters.

The poll also found that a majority of respondents — 54 percent — believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi will be removed from power as a result of American efforts, but that percentage is down from 63 percent in May. More than a quarter, 26 percent, say it’s not likely that Gadhafi will be ousted.

Other poll findings:

• 13 percent of Republican voters favor continued military action in Libya, compared to 25 percent of Democrats and 22 percent of unaffiliated voters.
• 34 percent of respondents say it’s likely that U.S. military involvement in Libya will be over by the end of the year, down slightly from last month, while 51 percent say the U.S. won’t be out of Libya by year’s end.
• 31 percent of voters are not following reports on Libya closely, but 67 percent are still following news stories at least somewhat closely.
• 75 percent of voters agree that “the United States should not commit its forces to military action overseas unless the cause is vital to our national interest.”