Rasmussen: 21% think the US mission in Libya is clearly defined

Begging the question, what are those 21% thinking?

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 21% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States has a clearly defined military mission in Libya. Fifty-six percent (56%) disagree and say the military does not have a clearly defined mission. Nearly one-in-four voters (23%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The president apparently did not close the sale with his address explaining his decision to commit U.S. forces to Libya. The survey was taken Monday and Tuesday nights, and the findings from the first night prior to the speech and the second night after the speech showed little change.

When you’re conducting war by euphemism, when you’re saying that your military mission is one thing but your non-military mission is something else (and actually harder edged than your military mission), and when you’re pretending to have handed the mission you’re not calling a war off to a coalition that you actually lead but don’t want to admit it for political reasons — you don’t have a clear mission.