Call to Conservatives: Wake Up and Smell the Polls
Call to Conservatives: Wake Up and Smell the Polls
The most recent conservative spin on the Karl Rove scandal: people just don’t care. Last night on Fox News, host Bill O’Reilly insulted the intelligence of the American people while attacking the media:
“As I said in the “Talking Points Memo”, folks don’t care about this. It doesn’t influence anybody’s life. All right? It doesn’t. But the media is not going to stop. The anti-Bush media. And it’s going to pound it, pound it, pound it [Fox News, July 18, 2005].”
Guest Dick Morris served up an equally rude response:
“Nobody cares about this story anywhere in the United States. The only reason that it’s being run is that there’s a reporter in jail. And another reporter was almost in jail. And the Democrats ran with this a year or two ago. And they’re out for blood against Rove, but voters don’t care [Fox News, July 18, 2005].”
But the research begs to differ with the Right’s theory. ABC News published a poll today that shows a sharp decline in public trust of the White House. In September 2003, when the Plume story broke, 47% of the public believed the administration was fully cooperating. That number has since plummeted to 25%. The poll also shows that 75% of the public believe that Karl Rove should be fired if he did leak information — a figure that varies only slightly in terms of party affiliation (71% of Republicans believe Rove should be fired, versus 83% of Democrats and 74% of independents). An equally high percentage has agreed that the scandal is a “serious matter.” The people do care. And apparently they’re not too happy with what they’re seeing.
–Grant Ginder
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Those people must be insane. How can they believe such wild “conspiracy theories”? Bush is the greatest president of all time. The GOP has saved the country from mediocre greatness and given us abject failure! I’d like to see Bill Clinton top this record of under-achievement, corruption and ethically challenged governance!
1) Plame/Rove “TreasonGate” investigation
July 19th, 2005 at 2:35 pm2) Jack Abramoff/Tom Delay investigation
3) Thomas Noe/Ohio “Coingate”/RNC investigation
4) “Duke” Cunningham/MZM investigation
5) Sproul & Assoc./RNC investigation
6) Halliburton/Dick Cheney investigation
7) Downing Street Documents/Iraq War investigation
8) Abu Ghraib/Gitmo/Torture accusations/investigation
9) Election Fraud allegations/investigation
10) Jeff Gannon investigation
11) 9/11 investigation
12) Combination of all of the above
13) Scandal/investigation we failed to list above
14) An as of yet unknown/unpublicized scandal/investigation
15) None of the above and none in the future
Settle down Loofah Boy and Toe Sucker.
You’re just so happy you are not the headliners…don’t get cocky boys!
Excellent list, Look!
July 19th, 2005 at 2:52 pmYes it is good to be among the 75% of sane people.
July 19th, 2005 at 3:29 pmI Should have included the link.
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001611.htm
July 19th, 2005 at 3:30 pmYou know, it’s interesting. Overtly they may have you think they’re trying to get the heat off Rove, but they’ve already succeeded in getting the heat off the Downing Street Memo’s, albeit unintentionally.
Quite frankly, I’d rather Bush was held to the fire for potentially impeachable offenses, than deal with small fries like Rove. But alas the media has mostly moved on.
July 19th, 2005 at 3:41 pmSani, visit votetoimpeach.org
Ramsey Clark and Patrick Fitzgerald will tie the DSM and Plamegate together and the entire administration will fall.
July 19th, 2005 at 3:46 pmDo you think GG is spinning the poll results?
1)Only 53% of the sample (only 1000+) say they are following the issue somewhat or very closely. The other half are not. Certainly more confused than those of us trying to follow a very complicated matter with few known facts.
2) …serious matter…?
Down from Oct 2003 in the serious categories, up in the not serious and no opinion categories. It’s reasonable to conclude (if you think polls matter) that interest in this issue is declining.
3) WH cooperating with investigation?
No opinion is up a wopping 12 pts since Sept 2003. Very good, suspending judgement.
Finally, it’s very important to note that the question about Rove losing his job is modified from the question asked in 2003. Also note the question starts with “IF the investigators find…”.
The big IF! Polls are meaningless anyway. Let’s deal with the facts when they come out.
Spin, GG, spin ba-bay!
July 19th, 2005 at 3:46 pmHey Steed, 56% of your Republican buddies agree with firing Rove.
Feel a little let down do ya?
Yeah, it sucks to be a speck doesn’t it?
July 19th, 2005 at 3:49 pmPublic opinion is turning our way. It’s too bad we don’t have honest elections any more.
July 19th, 2005 at 3:49 pm53% is pretty good considering there’s no sex involved.
July 19th, 2005 at 4:22 pmI’m with you Steed. Polls are pretty meaningless.
Let’s wait and see what the prosecutor finds, boys and girls, before we get all hysterical about chimpybushitlerroveco
July 19th, 2005 at 4:42 pmCC and Steed,
Good to know the right has standards. “No one will be working at the Whitehouse if they have to go to Leavenworth, instead!”
Or, if you prefer: “Anyone convicted of a crime (on Tuesday afternoons, not including certain specific offenses to be detailed later) will not be working at the Whitehouse!”
Yeah. Real high ethical standards, guys. I’m sure it’s VERY impressive to our illustrious readers.
July 19th, 2005 at 4:54 pmToo funny — getting lectured on ethical standards by the left.
Anyone know what the meaning of ‘is’ is?
July 19th, 2005 at 5:08 pmThese right wing extremists are acting as though they didn’t convict M.J. and O.J. before the jury ruled.
Like most American’s they think guilty verdicts should have been handed down.
No, they never “jump the gun”.
Hypocrits.
July 19th, 2005 at 5:11 pmYes, conservatives all held their toungues while the Whitewater investigation was underway. Let’s show them the same courtesy ;)
July 19th, 2005 at 5:43 pmI have to confess that I have a hard time comprehending the Rove/Plame scandal. As far as I can understand it we have a case where someone (Rove?/Liddy?) leaked the identity of a CIA covert agent who was neither an agent nor covert. This person or persons shopped the story around by waiting for reporters to call and talk about other topics. We finally started to find out who the dirty dogs were when Matt Cooper decided that Rove really meant it when he waived confidentiality over a year ago. And the NY Times is insisting that their reporter stay in jail because she is perserving the “people’s right to know” by telling nothing. Have I missed anything?
July 19th, 2005 at 5:48 pmYes Tom, you have.
July 19th, 2005 at 6:22 pmThis has become one of my favorite places to visit- a massive dose of intolerance with a smidge of viciousness – remember, it doesn’t matter that Mrs. Wilson – (her undercover name to compliment the sunglasses and blonde disguise) did not fit the 1983 legal definition of a covert agent – do not confuse close minded “progressives” with the facts. Rove would not have had to correct Matt Cooper if Joe Wilson had not lied about being sent to Niger by Dick Cheney. I love the moral giants on the left – Ted “the swimmer” Kennedy, Ramsey “Che” Clark, Dick “my dictator is bigger than your dictator” Durbin.
July 19th, 2005 at 7:03 pmWait, you are passing on a poll comissioned the media in a case involving the media. Don’t you find that a little silly?
Consider this: did the media poll ever ask if the New York Times or Time magazine reporters should be fired for defying a court order? No. I mean what kind of questions is this: “is the reporter doing the right thing?”
Rubbish. Just Rubbish.
July 19th, 2005 at 7:21 pmthis white house isn’t running for re-election. so polls don’t mean much.
July 19th, 2005 at 7:22 pmI remember when NO ONE cared about some little break in at the Watergate hotel… it didn’t affect any one.
July 19th, 2005 at 9:08 pmTim,
Yes, no cared about the break in, which certainly was a crime. But what crime was committed here? You are also forgetting that things were much different back in the 70’s since the public bought every thing the media sold them no questions asked. Today, thanks to the internet and more media choices, no one will care even if a crime were committed except for whiney liberals who have lost their power.
July 19th, 2005 at 11:49 pm#20. I would agree. What exactly do polls in non-election years mean anyway?
July 19th, 2005 at 11:52 pmI’m so glad that the pugs around here have no idea how important the 06 elections are.
The majority will shift to the left and the right will be going “I didn’t know there was an election”..
Enjoy it while you got it pugs. No way on Gods green earth will the pugs stay in the majority.
July 20th, 2005 at 12:43 pmI’d like to answer your question while I’m at it.
“What exactly do polls in non-election years mean anyway?”
It means your own party does not support the President. Duh, you are the minority now.
You are a speck and your opinions mean nothing!
July 20th, 2005 at 12:46 pmToo funny  getting lectured on ethical standards by the left.
Anyone know what the meaning of ‘is’ is?
Comment by Concerned Conservative  July 19, 2005 @ 5:08 pm
And your rejoinder is a goldmine of hilarity. Perhaps your definition on the meaning of “is” goes something like “Is 1700 dead service personnel (and thousands of innocent Iraqis)morally equivalent to a blow job?” Your ethical standards are non-existant (supporting a deserter in time of war, saying it’s ok to out a CIA agent because “she’s fair game” for having married Joe Wilson)but keep it up; your ill-informed diatribes are about the only comic-relief we have around here.
July 20th, 2005 at 1:00 pm[. . .] no one will care even if a crime were committed except for whiney liberals who have lost their power.
And there we have the conservative answer to most scandal.
It’s only a crime – what are you getting all worked up about? “Law and order republicans”- what a joke!
July 20th, 2005 at 1:05 pm[. . .] no one will care even if a crime were committed except for whiney liberals who have lost their power.
Fitz isn’t a Dem and he cares.
Rip on the Dems and Libs all you want, as you imbibe the nectar of the Turd Blossom, but remember, Patrick Fitzgerald is the one poised to take down Karl Rove (at the very least).
July 20th, 2005 at 7:49 pmI’m sure Fitzgerald is feeling the pressure. I guarantee these polls mean something to him.
If he answers to the majority on this he will go down in history as the best prosecuter in history.
I’m positive he’s a smart man and he’ll do the proper thing.
Who knows, if he does a good job on this he could be our next President. He’ll be a shoe in.
July 20th, 2005 at 9:34 pmA good post. The “Americans don’t care” argument regarding Karl Rove’s leak is absurd. What’s funny is that self-styled, “security conscience” right wing “patriots” like those that comment here on your site, actually claim that they don’t care that Karl Rove leaked the name of a CIA operative.
What hypocrites. Then again, in recent years, we’ve had to get used to these whiny, angry, uptight right wing extremists.
July 27th, 2005 at 8:33 amcorrected url
July 27th, 2005 at 8:38 amThank God someone watches bill o’ I’ll pat your fanny riley….that way I don’t have to watch him. FAUX news, we distort, you try to decide.
Pity he wasn’t Clinton, because he wouldn’t have a job now.
Of course he will try to minimalize the WH corruption. He is a lapdog of the WH. They tell em what to say and he says it.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtian.
July 29th, 2005 at 8:44 pmAbout Ed #22….
Isn’t if funny how speaking the name Bill O’really big loud mouth is akin to envoking Satain?
Say Bill O’…and all the loud mouth right wing biggots stand up and shout… Kinda funny!
Really funny if you look at their tax returns and see that they REALLY SHOULDN’T BE SUPPORTING THE NEO-CONS.
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November 23rd, 2005 at 9:37 pm