Fox News again hyped misleading poll about Iraq
On the February 27 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, anchor Bill Hemmer cited the results of a "new poll" by Public Opinion Strategies that 53 percent of voters say "victory in Iraq is still possible." Hemmer failed to acknowledge that, as noted by Media Matters for America (here and here), POS has described itself as a "Republican polling firm," and a Republican pollster has reportedly stated that the question Hemmer cited was worded in a "completely unprofessional" manner.
The POS poll, conducted February 5-7, asked voters to rate their level of agreement/disagreement with the statement "Victory in Iraq, that is creating a young but stable democracy and reducing the threat of terrorism at home, is no longer possible for the US." Media Matters has noted that, according to blogger Greg Sargent, Republican pollster David E. Johnson, CEO of the Strategic Vision polling firm, criticized the poll as, in Sargent's words, "leading and designed to elicit the answers they got." Johnson also asserted, according to Sargent, that the wording of the poll's statement was "completely unprofessional" because "[i]t's designed to confuse the respondent. People are being asked whether two different things can be accomplished -- establishing democracy in Iraq and reducing the threat of terrorism at home -- and doesn't clarify which one people are talking about."
In contrast, a poll conducted February 7-11 by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center for the People & the Press showed that 47 percent of respondents feel the United States would "probably" or "definitely" fail "in establishing a stable democratic government in Iraq," as compared to 44 percent of respondents, who feel that the United States would "probably" or "definitely" succeed.
From the February 27 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:
HEMMER: From Capitol Hill right now, there's a growing divide, apparently, between Democrats on sounding out its opposition to the war. We hear that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now wants to delay any vote on a measure that would repeal the president's authorization to go to war. That was from five years ago. In a new poll from Public Opinion Strategies, a cross-section of about 800 voters, asked the question of whether or not victory in Iraq is still possible. A slight majority, 53 percent, say yes, 43 percent say no.
How do you sleep at night when you spend your days lying to prop up this horrible, illegal, ill-advised war? I mean....really? Does anyone besides Dick Cheney Puddinhead George still believe this was a good idea?
John McCain and Donald Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld, probably; McCain...I'm not so sure. It's hard to know how much of his position is genuine and how much of it is pandering to the troglodyte base. Even some of the more hard core chickenhawks are starting to admit that invading Iraq was a mistake (even while insisting that we cannot leave). Of course, they won't admit that the intelligence was cooked...we'll have to prove that.
The 30% who still believe in this must contain some powerful business interests because that has to be the only reason the Foxies are still hyping this bullsh*t.
benedict, erm, joe lieberman
I like that one. Very fitting.
This is really no suprise, its FOX. It is not like they are capable of telling the truth or giving Americans a straight story.
No, no surprise whatsoever. At the same time, though, one keeps hoping for the truth to set us free...
"At the same time, though, one keeps hoping for the truth to set us free..." -Val
Yes, the large Meteor of "Truth" flying through space and then slamming into the faux news studios.
Oh, I know they'll listen to Reason...
hhhhmmmmm......yes "Reason"
Odd dictionary though (Hiro??)
I'm conducting a poll. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement:
"Victory in Iraq, that is creating a young but stable democracy and reducing the threat of terrorism at home, is worth sacrificing my own life for"
If you agreed with that statement, then the poll is over for you (and perhaps your life is over also).
If you disagreed with that statement, then please indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement:
"Victory in Iraq... creating a democracy there, is not worth sacrificing my own life for, but is worth sacrificing the lives of those I love, such as my Son or Daughter or Brother or Sister or Father or Mother"
If you agreed with that statement, then the poll is over for you (and perhaps the lives of your loved ones is over also).
If you disagreed with that statement, then please indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement:
"Victory in Iraq... creating a democracy there, is not worth sacrificing my own life for, nor the lives of those I love, but is worth sacrificing the lives of thousands of U.S. Troops whom I neither love or even know personally, in addition to tens of thousands of Iraqis I certainly do not love or even know personally"
If you agreed with that statement, then you are probably a member of the Bush administration, or you work for Fox Noise Channel.
If you disagreed with that statement, then you are probably a conscientious American Citizen, who knows that Iraq has nothing to do with 9-11 or terror attacks in America or the National Security of the American People.
Pow! A poll that would really ask the hard questions. The truth is too brutal for cheerleaders to ponder.
No one on FOX NEWS CHANNEL can be dishonest. Not possible.
THANK YOU.
njguy93@yahoo.com
"The POS poll..."
That must have been fun to write.
Now THERE'S some vital information. Out of a whole 800 people who don't know their butts from a bomb crater regarding war and foreign policy, about half think the war's winnable, and half don't. Earth shattering data, that. That's like asking 800 nurses why your transmission is slipping.
I actually respect the 4% who obviously answered "didn't know" for being intellectually honest. I like to think the nurses are in this category.
I like that, asking nurses why their tranny is slipping.
As for those who neither agreed or disagreed with the cleverly-crafted "statements" (apparently 4%):
Sometimes they are catagorized as "didn't know" or "no opinion", but other times they are said to have "refused".
That'd been me... I'd have refused to answer, and spat at the slimy snake making such cleverly-crafted "statements".
Taking back America...
One dirty, stinking, filthy conservative at a time.
"...53 percent of voters say "victory in Iraq is still possible."
Shoot... anything is POSSIBLE. Ask voters if it is more likely than not that we will attain victory in Iraq... whatever the hell that means this week.
Better, yet... ask voters if victory in Iraq is still possible within the next ten years. That'll scare the shiet out of'em.
Ask them how much they're willing to put on their kids and grandkids credit cards to win.
Or refer to the brilliant questionnaire a poster put up here on another thread regarding whose life the war-lovers are willing to risk in order to wave their little flags.
(sorry no credit, I'll look later)
I almost hate to make comments like this because they sound so holier than thou... but these people appear to not be concerned with whose kids die or come home minus the limbs they left with. They don't care that we're helping create a more dangerous world for our kids. They don't care who pays the tab because they will have already left the bar. They don't care what shape we leave the environment in for our kids and grand kids. All they want is to have a tank full of gas, FOX News on the TV and a daily visit to the computer to check their investments. Then everything is peachy. And it's all the same crowd...
Is this what you're referring to HBL?
It was posted by MrBadExample in last Friday's "Glenn Beck touts..poll" thread.
OK, how about this for a fair question: "Do you support finishing the job in Iraq enough to volunteer to do a tour yourself, that is, staying there personally 12-18 months or until the Iraqi government can maintain control and provide security for its people?"
- MrBadExample / Friday February 23, 2007 07:29:00 PM EST
Fox Noise is not a respectable source of honest journalism. They are an extension of the White House's PROPAGANDA platform. They are cheerleaders for an immoral war and a lying administration. Its propagandist pundits are invited to personally consult with George Bush inside the White House. Fox Noise wraps themselves up in the American flag while they hold contempt for American integrity and intelligence, they are despicable.
This interview is very interesting:
Pentagon Whistle-Blower on the Coming War With Iran Truthdig.com
Tuesday 27 February 2007
Transcript:
excerpted quotes from Karen Kwiatkowski interview:
"I think the, one of the big reasons that Bush and Cheney think they can do Iran is that they believe, what they're hearing from the Air Force and the Navy"
"So we weren't allowed to put out anything except what Office of Special Plans was producing for us. And that was only partially based on intelligence, and partially based on a political agenda."
"Most of the money we gave to Halliburton was for construction and completion of these bases. We have probably, of the 150,000, 160,000 troops we have in Iraq probably 110,000 of those folks are associated with one of those four mega bases. Safely ensconced behind acres and acres of concrete. To operate there indefinitely, no matter what happens in Baghdad .."
"And we don't even have status of forcive agreements with any legitimate government in Iraq to support those bases. They are illegal bases, okay. But yes, they're gonna stay, absolutely, they're gonna stay."
"And this guy [Jerry Bremer's predecessor (Jay Garner?)] gave an interview in Government Exec Magazine, February 2004, he said “we will be in Iraq, and the American people need to get with this program, we will be in Iraq like we were in the Philippines for anywhere from 20 to 30 more years. That's the time frame that we're looking at. And that is the life span of the bases that we've constructed there."
"They are American bases. We've got our flag there. And this is kind of the way they used to do things, I guess back in the Middle Ages. Maybe the Dark Ages. A king decided he wanted to go do something, he went and did it. And this is George Bush. We call him an elected president. I mean, he's operating much as kings have operated in the past."
"The problem is, it's immoral, it's illegal, it engenders hatred for Americans, contempt for Americans. It makes every American in the world a target for terrorism. It's just plain wrong, it's unconstitutional."
"We were so contracted out, we hired people that are beyond the law, that are not accountable to rules of war. And that's how we function. So the whole military system, the idea of a defensive force, forget it, that's done with."
"...our own country is at risk, but not from terror, not from buildings being knocked down, that's not what our country is at risk from, it's at risk from our politics, from our abandonment of the Constitution, our devaluing of the Bill of Rights. We've lost our freedom. Osama probably couldn't have dreamed that George Bush would help him out so much. I don't think even that was his intention, I don't think Osama could care less about our freedom, Osama's issues have to do with Islam and the Holy land, Saudi Arabia, his issues are much more narrow than anything that he's so called achieved. And I think George Bush has achieved this in a very weak and debased Congress has achieved this for this country"
check it out:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030107K.shtml
I sent an email to Olbermann's show recommending that they consider an interview with Karen Kwiatkowski.