In two weeks, Beijing, China will host the Summer Olympics amidst a storm of controversy over the country’s treatment of Tibet. Many politicians have spoken out on the issue, some calling for a boycott of the ceremonies to stand up for Tibetan citizens, though President Bush has decided to attend the Opening Ceremony.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that while most voters do not think the games should be a forum for political protests, they are split on whether they approve of China barring protests near the Olympic site.

Three months ago, a Rasmussen Reports survey found that 69% of voters were at least somewhat concerned about human rights violations on Tibetans by the Chinese government.

Seventy-three percent (73%) of voters do not think the Olympic Games are the proper forum for political protests, while 17% disagree. From a partisan perspective, 68% of both Democrats and unaffiliated voters say the event is not appropriate for political protests; 84% of Republicans say the same.

Forty-one percent (41%) of voters approve of China’s limitation on protests near the Olympic site and 42% disapprove. Again, there are partisan differences on this question. Half of Republicans (50%) approve of limitations, just 33% of Democrats agree.

Just over half of all voters (51%) approve of President Bush’s decision to attend the Opening Ceremony, while 22% disapprove. Men are slightly more likely to approve of the President’s decision than women. A poll conducted in April found that 31% of voters thought Bush should boycott the ceremonies.

Most voters are not worried about a terrorist attack at the games. Just 32% of voters think an attack is at least somewhat likely, while 55% say it is unlikely. Another 13% are not sure.

Fifty-eight percent of voters are at least somewhat interested in the competition, with 22% who say they are very interested. In April, 60% of voters said they were interested in the upcoming games. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of black voters say they are interested in the games, along with 55% of white voters.

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