Yes, it's unscientific and it is a Web poll, so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but a Time.com survey today finds 61 percent of respondents think that, yes, America is a nation of whiners.
The screen grab at right was taken shortly before 12:45 p.m. EDT. Around 12:30, when I first saw the poll, the numbers were similar: 60-40.
Here's how the question was worded: "As Phil Gramm suggests, is America a 'nation of whiners'?"
I'd suggest a follow up Web poll: "Is the mainstream media collectively a profession of whiners?" For more on that, see my colleague Scott Whitlock's post on how the media refuse to take responsibility for their role in hyping doom and gloom to make America's economic woes seem worse than they objectively are.
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The other 39% were
July 11, 2008 - 12:03 ET by Ruths husband BenThe other 39% were complaining that the questions were so hard!
“it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.” - Justice Antonin Scalia
YES WE ARE
July 11, 2008 - 12:37 ET by CrashPeople in the United States of America have ALWAYS been whiner's. Have you heard your congressman speak? You've heard the beggar's in our midst ask for more & more hand outs ... from healthcare, welfare, to unionized pensioned jobs.
We the people have cars, A/C, multiple TV's, cable, gadgets up the wazoo, internet, organic food, designer lifestyles and cumulative credit cards. But the one thing we can't buy or acquire without our independent spirit is discipline.
Whiners
July 11, 2008 - 12:32 ET by serfer62In a country where the "poor" drive to demonstrations, have 2 TVs, AC, Microwave, too many calories & live better then middle class in most countries its hard to sypathiz...
Serfer, dey only drive if du
July 11, 2008 - 12:47 ET by bobniemannSerfer, dey only drive if du bus don't cum get um.
All I can say is
July 11, 2008 - 12:44 ET by DelsaBoo Hoo Hoo
You'd whine too...
July 11, 2008 - 13:01 ET by Prester John...if you had to pay $125 everytime you had to fill up your $45,000 SUV.
...or had your Internet and cell phone bills going up all the time.
...or had to pay $12 for a movie ticket or $35 for a baseball game ticket.
...or had to pay $3.50 for a latte'.
I mean, geez, if this keeps up there will hardly be any money left over to buy food.
C-SPAN Agrees
July 11, 2008 - 13:14 ET by coffee260Listening to C-Span radio this morning, I was struck by just how many callers agreed that, yes, America is a nation of whiners. I usually have to tune out after the callers into C-Span start in with their BDS. But today, in varying forms, almost all the callers agreed with the hosts questions of are we a nation of whiners? So the question is does McCain necessarily have to distance himself from Gramm?
that is what upset me about McLame's reaction
July 11, 2008 - 13:57 ET by SouthJersey1953Gramm spoke the truth; and obviously America agrees. (as of 3:00 pm EDT it is still 61% 39%)
Why or why didn't McCain capitalize on this instead of rolling over and playing dead again.
I agree
July 11, 2008 - 14:30 ET by txcoI just heard a pundit on TV saying Graham's statement was one of the biggest political gaffs of the campaign....SAD, telling the truth, instead of what people want to hear, is no longer acceptable.
gramm will apologize with
July 11, 2008 - 16:13 ET by TruthMongergramm will apologize with deep humility
but he really ought to loudly RE-AFFIRM WHAT HE SAID WITH A GIANT FU TO THE PONDSCUM MSM:)!
my "fantasty Republicans" kick ass
Pity. He should stick to
July 11, 2008 - 16:15 ET by NL207Pity. He should stick to his guns because he is right.
Whiners
July 11, 2008 - 14:36 ET by Emma GrumpToo many people don't (or won't) live within their means. When I was young & raising a family, times got tough and money was scarce, I got a part-time job and worked myself out of my financial fix. I never expected my government to bail me out of a situation that was of my own making. Phil Gramm hit the nail right on the head - we have become a nation of whiners.
Whiners
July 11, 2008 - 17:01 ET by pbfunSomebody speaks the truth and we have to take a poll? I guess it's just time to take spanish lessons.
Are Americans whiners?
July 12, 2008 - 01:02 ET by Cureboy675Are Americans whiners? Absolutely we are. But not solely in regards to the economy. Americans just B**ch too much period.
Just the other day, my local news ran a story: Four years ago a woman took her wedding dress to the cleaners. And she just left it there. For four years. Never bothered to pick it up. And when the dry cleaners recently went out of business, they threw out the wedding dress that they'd been stuck with for four years. And this lady had the nerve to be outraged!! I couldn't believe it.
Americans have this sense of entitlement. And when something goes wrong in our lives, we always have to find somebody else to blame because we just can't fathom the possibility that we may have screwed up our lives all by ourselves. So based on that question by itself "Is America a nation of whiners?" My answer has to absolutely be "Hell yeah"
Whine and waffles
July 12, 2008 - 10:06 ET by Andante"Why can't I just eat my waffle?" -- Obama after being asked a foreign policy question by a reporter while visiting a diner in Pennsylvania
"We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."... Karl Marx? Nope, it was Hillary Clinton.