A new Pew poll finds that by 70-20 percent, the U.S. public opposes the U.S. getting more involved in the Syrian civil war by supplying arms to the rebels.
This is the third time in the past year and a half that Pew has polled on that question and, interestingly, although the change is small, the opposition has grown higher every time notwithstanding significant efforts, led by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), to make the case in favor aiding the rebels. In March of 2012, it was 63-29 against getting more involved.
In the new poll, by 68-27, respondents agreed with the statement that the U.S. was already too committed to other situations around the world to get drawn into a new one, and by 60-25 the public expressed concern that the Syrian opposition groups may not be any better than the existing government.
The opposition was one of those rare moments of bipartisan agreement among the general public. Republicans opposed the idea of arming the rebels by 71-20 and Democrats agree by 66-25. Independents were the most opposed of all, at 74-18.