Home

CNN Plays With Lies and Statistics

Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2006-09-09 15:05.

By David Swanson

[Here's their headline:]
Public expects gridlock if Democrats pick up seats

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Americans foresee "more gridlock" in government if Democrats take over the House and/or the Senate after elections this fall, a CNN poll shows.

And while the poll shows a majority of Americans would favor probes by a Democratic Congress into Bush administration actions, most Americans oppose impeaching President Bush.

[Actually, CNN never asked anyone whether they supported impeachment. It only asked if they support impeachment AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE.]

Interviews with a total of 1,004 adult Americans were conducted by telephone on August 30-September 2 by Opinion Research Corporation. (Read the complete poll results -- PDF)

Respondents were asked "next year, it is possible that the country will have a Republican president and a Democratic Congress. Do you think that is more likely to result in more cooperation between the two parties or more likely to result in more gridlock and stalemate in the government?"

[CNN did not ask whether people thought gridlocking this government would be good or bad.]

Seventy percent expect "gridlock and stalemate" while 27 percent believe there would be "cooperation between the two parties." Three percent had no opinion. Half the sample, or 502 people, was asked the gridlock question.

Fifty-seven percent of the respondents said they think it would be good for the country "if the Democrats in Congress were able to conduct official investigations into what the Bush administration has done in the past six years." Forty-one percent said such probes would be bad for the country. Half of the sample was asked this question, also.

[CNN did not ask whether people considered that part of the gridlock.]

At the same time, 69 percent said Bush should not be impeached or removed from office, with 30 percent saying he should be impeached or removed from office. One percent had no opinion. A total of 1,004 adults was asked the questions about impeachment.

[CNN's own report on what they asked says "impeached AND removed from office," not "or."

The sampling error for the results for the impeachment question was plus or minus 3 percent. The sampling error for the poll of half of the people surveyed was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

»

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Ev

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2006-09-09 23:33.

Who were they polling? The majority of America wants and prays for impeachment. More propaganda.

»

I would be surprised

Submitted by VP on Sun, 2006-09-10 00:02.

if there wasn't gridlock, we all pretty much know that if the Dem's take back the control of congress the repukes will work overtime doing what they are always whining about, being "obstructionist". You watch, they will throw every dirty trick, every parliamentary maneuver they can to try and stop Congress from doing anything and then whine, cry, piss and moan about the "do nothing Dem's".
Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official...
~Theodore Roosevelt~

»

Goforit!

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2006-09-10 00:40.

I am so pleased to have found your website presence. You have jumpstarted my enthusiasm for full official investigations of this administration. Of course they would be not only be good for the country but also restore the true image and reputation of America by example ie exemplifying to the world what we say we are: a democracy - truly governed of the people, for the people and by the people. So much more has gone afoul in six years of this administration than the debacles in Water-gate and Contra-gate hearings of the previous Republican administrations the stench of which should bear as much a thorough in-depth clearing even as the ignoble episode of former President Clinton did. It will have to have the boldness of democrat-leadership and people to re-instate the strength and greatness of America.

»

wording

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2006-09-11 22:47.

David, you mentioned the wording of the poll question, rightly pointing out the fact that the language was specifically designed to skew the results. It was the FIRST part of the question that struck me- "Based on what you have read..."- which brings us to the crux. We need to hold the media accountable.

M7

»

How to end the war

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2006-09-28 22:48.

If the American people demanded that the bush family HAD to live in
Iraq untill the war was over,and his daughters were required to
join the armed forces, bush would call for an end of the war.
He says we must make the sacrifices of killing our children however
that does not in any way include he or his family, it is only our families that are replaceable. Yes he is worse than a devel!!!

»

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.