Poll: Large majority backs ground troops against ISIL

The United States should put boots on the ground to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to registered voters surveyed in a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

Among registered voters nationwide, 62 percent support ground troops in Iraq and Syria, while 30 percent oppose it. Men back the action 68 percent to 28 percent, while women support it 57 percent to 33 percent.


The numbers also project a conviction that the U.S. will prevail against ISIL, with 69 percent of those surveyed responding that they were “very confident” or “somewhat confident,” compared with 27 percent who said they were “not so confident” or “not confident at all.” A majority — 53 percent — also responded that they are more concerned about the U.S. not going far enough to stop the spread of the terrorist group in the region.

Sixty-four percent responded that Congress should authorize President Barack Obama’s request to use military force against ISIL, which has been stalled on Capital Hill amid questions on both sides of the aisle.

The poll, conducted Feb. 26-March 2, surveyed 1,286 registered American voters by land line and cellphone. The survey carries an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.