A real transcript from CNN
Oct. 6th, 2004 04:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catsidheFrom here:
PHILLIPS: All right. Where do Americans stand on Iraq?
NEWPORT: Well, that's an important question that's clearly been the focus of the first debate. It may come up tonight, of course.
We've seen it change. The question that we've been asking about wars here at Gallup since the Korean War: Was it a mistake to get involved? And the percentage say yes -- it's this bottom line -- right after the Republican convention, it had dropped. Only 38 percent of Americans right here said it was a mistake. In other words, that was more positive about the Iraqi war. Only 38 saying it was a mistake.
But the percent saying it was a mistake has gone up. We're now -- we're at split half and half: 48 say it was a mistake, and 51 percent say not. So, we're kind of back where we were -- America split right down the middle in terms of perceptions of the Iraq war at this point, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So, do Americans agree with Kerry's statement during his debate that Osama bin Laden was behind the 9/11 attacks and not Saddam Hussein?
NEWPORT: Well, that's the key issue. You know, all these comments by Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, have come into the fore even yesterday and today. It's very political.
This is fascinating. Look carefully. If you're a Republican, 62 percent say, yes, Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the 9/11 attacks. Almost two thirds say yes. But Democrats and Republicans, exactly as many, two thirds say, no, there was no connection.
So, the Republicans -- at least at this point, Kyra -- have bought into the Bush/Cheney and the Republican administration logic that they've advanced over the last year or two that there was a connection.
For fsck's sake.
So... it doesn't seem to matter that the opinion in question is DEMONSTRABLY A LIE, what matters is that 62% of Republicans believe it. (That one third of Democrats believe it to be true is disturbing enough in its own right, mainly because it is A LIE, DAMMIT!
Opinion Polls are polls of opinion, not of Fact. And when opinion is based on US TV news, it seems, the weight of that opinion is worth somewhat less than the weight of one neutrino.
PHILLIPS: All right. Where do Americans stand on Iraq?
NEWPORT: Well, that's an important question that's clearly been the focus of the first debate. It may come up tonight, of course.
We've seen it change. The question that we've been asking about wars here at Gallup since the Korean War: Was it a mistake to get involved? And the percentage say yes -- it's this bottom line -- right after the Republican convention, it had dropped. Only 38 percent of Americans right here said it was a mistake. In other words, that was more positive about the Iraqi war. Only 38 saying it was a mistake.
But the percent saying it was a mistake has gone up. We're now -- we're at split half and half: 48 say it was a mistake, and 51 percent say not. So, we're kind of back where we were -- America split right down the middle in terms of perceptions of the Iraq war at this point, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So, do Americans agree with Kerry's statement during his debate that Osama bin Laden was behind the 9/11 attacks and not Saddam Hussein?
NEWPORT: Well, that's the key issue. You know, all these comments by Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, have come into the fore even yesterday and today. It's very political.
This is fascinating. Look carefully. If you're a Republican, 62 percent say, yes, Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the 9/11 attacks. Almost two thirds say yes. But Democrats and Republicans, exactly as many, two thirds say, no, there was no connection.
So, the Republicans -- at least at this point, Kyra -- have bought into the Bush/Cheney and the Republican administration logic that they've advanced over the last year or two that there was a connection.
For fsck's sake.
So... it doesn't seem to matter that the opinion in question is DEMONSTRABLY A LIE, what matters is that 62% of Republicans believe it. (That one third of Democrats believe it to be true is disturbing enough in its own right, mainly because it is A LIE, DAMMIT!
Opinion Polls are polls of opinion, not of Fact. And when opinion is based on US TV news, it seems, the weight of that opinion is worth somewhat less than the weight of one neutrino.
