Americans give tepid support to President Obama’s nomination of former Republican senator Chuck Hagel as defense secretary, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, but supporters far outnumber opponents at this early stage.
Fully one in three express no opinion on the matter, highlighting the fact that Hagel is unfamiliar to many despite having served in the U.S. Senate for two terms. The most pronounced opposition to the pick, as in the U.S. Senate, comes from fellow Republicans.
Overall, 42 percent of all Americans support the Hagel pick; 24 percent, are opposed. [cont.]
Scott Clement, Washington Post