Why Are The TV Networks So Slow to Poll on Libya?
One sign that the broadcast networks aren’t vigorously opposed to President Obama’s air strikes in Libya is the utter lack of polls. There were no ABC/Washington Post or NBC/Wall Street Journal polls touted before Obama’s Libya address, and a Gallup poll showing only 47 percent support for military action has been barely mentioned.
CBS News did a poll (without The New York Times) and briefly touted its results on March 22. Katie Couric offered one sentence on the Evening News: “A CBS News poll out tonight finds most Americans are following the events in Libya closely and nearly seven out of ten approve of the air strikes.” But the question was phrased in a way to encourage support for a coalition effort protecting innocent civilians:
"As you may know, the U.S. military and other countries have begun cruise missile and air strikes in Libya in order to protect civilians from attacks by Qaddafi's forces. Do you approve or disapprove of the U.S. and other countries taking this military action in Libya?"
In response, 68 percent approved. CBS also briefly mentioned a different number on the March 22 edition of The Early Show, that 50 percent approve of Obama’s handling of Libya:
ERICA HILL: The latest CBS News poll finds fifty percent of Americans approve of the President`s handling of the Libyan crisis, twenty-nine percent disapprove. Joining us this morning, Arizona Senator John McCain, he is the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
And:
JEFF GLOR: A CBS News poll released, by the way, this morning asked Americans how they think President Obama is handling the Libyan crisis. Half of those asked approve of what Mister Obama has done, 29 percent of those asked disapprove, and one in five doesn`t have an opinion.
ABC’s Jake Tapper mentioned the Gallup poll on Monday morning. The only other poll mention was this vague sentence from David Kerley on World News Saturday: “The White House contends that in historical perspective, it moved incredibly fast and quickly with an international coalition. But they are aware of the poll numbers, they are aware of the complaints, and that's what's driving this new message. David?”
NBC only touched on the poll once, on Saturday Today:
LESTER HOLT: You've seen the poll numbers, the public opinion polls. I think only 47 percent approve of action in Libya. When you look at other conflicts, Iraq at the outset, 76 percent supported it; Afghanistan, 90 percent; 51 for Kosovo. What's going on here?
MARK HALPERIN, TIME: Well, it's surprising because as you're -- as the numbers show, as you suggest, normally people rally around the president at a time like this. One thing that's a problem is he hasn't explained it well enough. I suspect the numbers can go up if he talks about it in detail and will on Monday. The other is we're in politically divisive times. And there are some people in the country who won't approve of the president no matter what he does. That puts a ceiling on his support. He's got a floor under him, too, because a lot of people support him almost no matter what he does.
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Comments
How it was done
Submitted by John21 on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 9:00am.
I can approve of the intervention to save civilian lives, but I do not approve of the methods employed by the administration.
Mr. Obama entered into armed conflict (something he says he against) without employing or attempting any alternatives. He then made the decision between making his basketball picks and packing for another family vacation.
He criticized the last president for rushing into a conflict and he made his approach to those conflicts look like the tortoise approach. Mr. Bush was in deep consultation with congress prior to commitment. Mr. Obama barely slowed down on his way out of town to let congress know they were going to begin bombing.
John21, Mr. Bush also went to
Submitted by ForeverOnTheRight on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 9:25am.
John21, Mr. Bush also went to the UN besides congress and that took enough time that Mr. Hussain trucked WMD out of country, Mr. Obama forgets we know these things. Mr. Bush did not "rush" into Iraq or Afghanistan. This is more like the tortoise and the hair, Mr. Bush being the tortoise and Mr. Obama the hair.
Push polls.
Submitted by Texndoc on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 9:09am.
"Do you approve of the slaughter of innocent civilians? Press "yes" or "no". "
I remember Arianna Huffington on Hannity and Colmes when Sean showed graphic (censored) videos of Sadam Hussein's atrocities against civilians which got a "So what?!" from Huffington.
The left is in a tight spot
Submitted by Free Thinker on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 10:28am.
The left is in a tight spot right now, either support Obama and validate George W. Bush and the Iraq war or stay consistent and and throw Obama under the bus adding to his political problems. In making a short sighted, rushed decision on Libya Obama has destroyed years of democrat branding in one week by validating the Iraq war. My guess is Axelrod's head exploded when Obama phoned him from his vacation to tell him what he was going to do.
What happened to "peace man"
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 10:39am.
I guess bombs = peace now. Isn't that ironic that the truth comes out when Obomba is in power. You don't have a GREAT military because you want to be a war monger, you have it because you HAVE TO HAVE IT! A big stick does go a very, very long way to keeping the peace. And I just as soon have peace on OUR TERMS vs. their terms. That is life and soon we may be living under China's thumb if we don't get our debt under control. O drove us in the ditch on purpose to make his way off the nearby cliff. There is no question it is deliberate. It is right in their handbook. Over tax the system so it crashes. Everything is a right! Unlimited demand; print those dollars (QE). 100% deliberate and Congress pretty much sits on its rump with their head in the sand saying no, no. Pisses me off!
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
According to Halpern Obama
Submitted by inquiringmind on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 9:20am.
According to Halpern Obama hasn't done a good job of explaining why we need to be there so his polling numbers are down because of that. Then in the same breath he says it is a pollitically divisive time. That is also why Obama is polling low on this topic. Some people would be against Obama no matter what.
I guess that means For Bush 43 and Clinton things were sunshine and lollypops pollitically speaking before they used military action.
An aside: Donnie D on Morning Joe this morning was in rare form as a perfect example of a mouth without a brain. Bill Bennet smacked Donnie down and left Mika sputtering. It was a beautiful thing.
I will always wonder who CBS
Submitted by ForeverOnTheRight on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 9:28am.
I will always wonder who CBS and the rest of the liberal media really poll. Is it their audience? I suspect it is.
Tim, if I may ask -- how do
Submitted by Beukeboom on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 10:46am.
Tim, if I may ask -- how do you know that the polls weren't actually conducted but just not released (perhaps due to the results being heavily skewed contrary to the liberal MSM's agenda)?
Agree w/you Beukeboom! How,
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 12:15pm.
Agree w/you Beukeboom! How, oh how could they not be done???? Certainly THEY ARE! If proof pops up this would be excellent proof of huge, huge bias trying to shape the outlook of the citizens. The press is absolutely corrupt if this is indeed the case. I hope they wake up and redeem themselves before we are to the point where they lock reporters up (in say, I don't know, a closet?) who don't comply. Please help those in the press!! Please start to expose the crimes of this Admin!
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
I found it interesting
Submitted by Ashrak on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 11:39am.
that in Bill Orielly's haphazard support for Obama's actions didn't end up in a poll fest last night.
I suspect polls are being started and then abandoned or it is so touchy the usual suspects aren't going to risk even going there.
From March 22 - 34% Now Support U.S. Involvement in Libya
That could have many scared to even poll.
O'Reilly has been spinning like a top for Obama on this one
Submitted by DaMav on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 12:20pm.
Really very crude and manipulative coverage from O'Reilly, who keeps trying to conflate American Exceptionalism with support for an al-Qaeda backed group of rebels that killed Americans in Iraq.
We did not become The Greatest Nation on the planet by jumping into civil wars between our enemies. It was not long ago that Obama was lecturing us on how we couldn't get involved when the Iranian mullahs were gunning down civilians for protesting the mullahcracy. There are churches being burned and civilians being murdered in Egypt, terrifying the Copts, and we are virtually silent on the matter. Clinton tells the world we won't get involved in Syria despite the murders of nearly a hundred civilian protestors by the government there.
It seems that the Obama Doctrine is that we get involved only when the UN needs a Military Force on Loan in their relentless quest to destroy Israel.
Meanwhile, Obama not only didn't inform Congress, he misinformed them, saying on March 18 that our military involvement was going to be a matter of "days, not weeks". (http://abcnews.go.com/International/libya-crisis-obama-moammar-gadhafi-u...) The action was sold as a 'no fly zone' concurrent with tanks being blown up by air strikes. We were told there would be no 'boots on the ground' amid widespread reports of same.
Clearly there are two sides here, and many Republicans support Obama's actions. But it is a bit disappointing that Fox and The Factor in particular have presented such a one sided picture of those opposed. Farakhan and Kucinich certainly do not represent me and are incapable of presenting a coherent opposition to Obama's horrendous foreign policy performance. Between Shep and O'Reilly we are seeing Fox turning into the Pom Pom girls for Obama in Libya.
Kudos to Greta for having Palin on for a dose of balance.
Obama lied.... the dollar
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 12:28pm.
Obama lied.... the dollar died. When is this guy not lying? Only during those small honest glimpses of his plans... like about pain pills for the elderly vs. actual treatment, redistributive taxation, & the need for high gas prices so that his master plan to go in place.
We cannot be the World Peace Keeper fighting everywhere. Only when there is a compelling national interest. Mark Levin was talking about this a few days ago (maybe Friday). He was great.
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
Tyrants
Submitted by Dave81 on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 1:52pm.
Has anyone ever noticed that all tyrants seem to share a certain...physical disadvantage? Qaddafi, Kim Jong Il, Hussein (Saddam, not Barack), they all look like they hit every branch in the ugly tree during their climb to power. Just sayin...