TY - JOUR
T1 - A War Too Far? Bush, Iraq, and the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
AU - McAllister, Ian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2006, John Wiley and Sons Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - Following 9-11 and the decision to go to war with Iraq, the Bush administration had to gain public support to legitimize its policy. This was achieved by priming the public on Iraq and by associating the Iraqi regime with terrorism, views about which most voters had clearly defined, preexisting views. In the run-up to the 2004 presidential election, the Iraq issue also became closely associated with Bush’s personal qualities as president. Analyses of the 2004 American National Election Study show that voters were primed on Iraq through television coverage. Evaluations of Bush’s personal qualities declined between 2000 and 2004, and judgments about his honesty and intelligence in 2004 were significantly related to opinions about Iraq. Iraq had an important influence in promoting turnout in the election, which increased Bush’s vote, and in shaping the election outcome. However, the influence of the Iraq issue was indirect and mediated by personal evaluations of George W. Bush.
AB - Following 9-11 and the decision to go to war with Iraq, the Bush administration had to gain public support to legitimize its policy. This was achieved by priming the public on Iraq and by associating the Iraqi regime with terrorism, views about which most voters had clearly defined, preexisting views. In the run-up to the 2004 presidential election, the Iraq issue also became closely associated with Bush’s personal qualities as president. Analyses of the 2004 American National Election Study show that voters were primed on Iraq through television coverage. Evaluations of Bush’s personal qualities declined between 2000 and 2004, and judgments about his honesty and intelligence in 2004 were significantly related to opinions about Iraq. Iraq had an important influence in promoting turnout in the election, which increased Bush’s vote, and in shaping the election outcome. However, the influence of the Iraq issue was indirect and mediated by personal evaluations of George W. Bush.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055309312&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2006.00302.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2006.00302.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0360-4918
VL - 36
SP - 260
EP - 280
JO - Presidential Studies Quarterly
JF - Presidential Studies Quarterly
IS - 2
ER -