Poll: Voters Appreciate Bush War On Terror

Bush aboard Air Force One

By Matt Towrey/SPR ~ I'm a nonpartisan pollster, but I'm also a columnist with a strong Republican background. So let me be clear right from the start: I believe President Barack Obama and his national security team performed admirably in the near-flawless effort to capture and kill Osama bin Laden.

It's disingenuous and just plain silly for anyone to say otherwise just because the president is a Democrat or because they disagree with his other policies.

The snuffing out of the world's top terrorist demonstrated the power and determination of America and its leaders.

A poll we conducted just after the announcement of bin Laden's demise showed a modest upward bump in approval ratings for the president. I expect these numbers to keep inching up over the coming weeks.

But another name has been connected with the Navy SEALs raid in Pakistan, if perhaps in the background -- George W. Bush.

He left office with not the best of popularity ratings. But according to the poll just mentioned, Bush, too, is greatly appreciated by the American people for the policies he put in place that led to bin Laden's abrupt end.

In our nationwide survey of 1,735 registered voters, 65 percent of Americans said that Bush's policies contributed to bin Laden's capture. Amazingly, 48 percent of Democrats felt the same. And among all age groups, a majority gave the ex-president his due for the manhunt that ended so successfully last weekend.

To me, it's both interesting and praiseworthy that Obama referenced George Bush in his national address after the killing of bin Laden. The president was also gracious enough to invite Bush to a celebration at Ground Zero. (Bush politely declined.)

The fact is that when momentous events happen, the old cliche about all of us first being Americans becomes true. For once, our partisan views take a back seat.

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