Did Obama Launch War in Libya to Help Poll Numbers?

There are two sides of Obama. There is the side that appears to hate war, promising to end war, while insulting George W. Bush as a war monger.



Then there is the Obama who launched a war against Libya without much justification other than it was humanitarian to launch the war. Without any Constitutional authority, considering our military is to be used to "provide a common defense," Obama has once again shown there is a side based on the hope and change rhetoric, and there is another side influenced by the inside forces of American politics, whether that be the industrial military complex, oil, or whatever.

Obama's poll numbers have been weak for most of his presidency. Last I looked, they were about 41% approval, although I had heard they were rising somewhat. With the 2012 election coming upon us quickly, I wonder if war was a way to jump start Obama's polling numbers.

In the last twenty years, since Desert Storm, the initial stages of war have proved popular with the American people and have boosted presidential approval numbers. George H.W. Bush had nearly a 90% approval rating during Desert Storm, of course that died quickly. It does go to show we support our president in times of war.

So could it be Obama launched this war to help his dismal polling numbers? If he did, it didn't work. Less than 50 percent of Americans support his attack on Libya. From the Politico:

President Barack Obama’s approval rating and prospects for reelection have plunged to all-time lows in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

Half of the registered voters surveyed for the poll think that the president does not deserve a second term in office, while 41 percent say he does. In another Quinnipiac poll released just four weeks ago, 45 percent said the president did not deserve reelection, while 47 percent said he did.
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The decline in support for a second Obama term comes as his approval rating has dropped 4 percentage points since early March, landing at 42 percent – a record low – in the poll released Wednesday. His disapproval rating has risen from 46 percent to 48 percent.

The downward shift may in part be the result of dissatisfaction over U.S involvement in Libya, with 47 percent of those surveyed saying they oppose it. By a margin of 58 percent to 29 percent, registered voters said that Obama has not clearly stated U.S. goals for the mission.

The poll as conducted March 22-28 and surveyed 2,069 registered voters. The error margin is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.