POLL: 62 Percent Believe White House ‘Hitler Appeaser’ Language Inappropriate

NBC released a poll tonight showing that the majority of Americans object to recent White House attacks comparing Iraq war critics to Hitler appeasers. Asked about the recent “appeaser” language, NBC’s Tim Russert said the poll showed this rhetoric “did not resonate with the American people.” Watch it:

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Full transcript:

WILLIAMS: With us tonight with the very latest in our NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, our Washington Bureau Chief and the moderator of Meet the Press, Tim Russert. Tim, we’re releasing these numbers at this hour. Let’s begin with that all-important presidential approval number.

RUSSERT: Brian, you will see President Bush’s approval is up to 42 percent. That’s two points up since July. When you look inside the poll, Brian, the number of people who are concerned about gasoline prices has declined dramatically and that seems to be giving the President a boost.

WILLIAMS: Other reasons for this number, Tim?

RUSSERT: Brian, the Iraq war, let’s look at this. Approval of the Iraq war — the President’s approval is at 38 percent. That’s a gain of three points since our last poll in July, where it was 35. A series of speeches, the commemorative events of September 11th, seemed to have helped the President in a modest way.

WILLIAMS: But Tim, as we covered here, some of those speeches contain references — we heard Hitler, talk of the appeasers in the World War II era. Is there a measurement of how that went over or did not?

RUSSERT: It sure does. In our poll, it did not resonate with the American people. Comparing of the Iraq war to the Nazis, only 32 percent thought that was appropriate, 61 percent not appropriate.

WILLIAMS: And is there a bottom line answer on where people came down on Iraq compared to other issues?

RUSSERT: Yes, Brian, and it hasn’t changed a bit. Right now, only 32 percent are more confident that there will be a successful conclusion in Iraq. 57 percent are less confident there will be a successful conclusion in Iraq.