Americans favor keeping Gitmo in business

Posted By Brian Fung Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - 5:32 PM Share

It isn't just Congress that's stalling Barack Obama's hopes for closing the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

Ordinary Americans favor keeping Gitmo open by a two-to-one margin, according to a new USA Today/Gallup survey released today. The survey, conducted by phone among 1,015 adults, also suggests that a sizeable number think Gitmo's helped make the country safer:

By 40%-18%, [respondents] said the prison had strengthened national security rather than weakened it.

Those who want the prison to remain open feel more strongly on the subject tha[n] those who want to close it. A 54% majority of those polled say the prison shouldn't be closed, and that they'll be upset if the administration moves forward to close it."

EXPLORE:JUSTICE, LAW, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, TERRORISM
 

WALKING WOUNDED

6:43 PM ET

June 2, 2009

Gitmo means- never having to say we're sorry?

Is the CIA willing to run GItmo? Justice? Homeland Security? 'Cause I don't think Gates' DOD wants it anymore.

Polls are great measures of opinion, less good at explaining the reasons for, and validity of those opinions.

McCain, the Army, Rice's DoState, and a lot of folks in the Bush admin wanted it to go away, when it was their liability. Now that Team Obama has to take the damage to sell the compromises inherent in closing it, those problems are a conservative talking point.

Over time advocates of "Gitmo Forever' would have to flesh out what that means, in terms of rule of law, admin/manpower/expense, foreign relationships, what we want to stand for, how we're perceived. Bush-Cheney couldn't put it on a solid legal footing in 8 years.

It's not at all clear how keeping a symbol of summary justice and harsh interrogation open is better than getting it over and done with.

 

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