Poll: Americans still believe in Saddam-al-Qaida link

[CompassionateLiberal]

(I apologize if this is duplicate post.)

I think the last paragraph is so telling.

"Among those who believed inspectors had found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, 72 percent said they would vote to re-elect Bush in November and 23 percent said they supported his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry. Among those who knew that no WMD had been found, the numbers were almost exactly reversed -- 74 percent supporting Kerry and 23 percent backing the president."


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Poll: Americans still believe in Saddam-al-Qaida link

By ANDREW GUMBEL
THE (LONDON) INDEPENDENT

A majority of Americans continues to believe that Saddam Hussein was in cahoots with al-Qaida and that Iraq either had weapons of mass destruction or a significant program for developing them, according to a startling new opinion poll.

The poll, conducted by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes, suggested that months of revelations challenging Bush administration policy had so far had little effect on public opinion. In fact, most respondents seemed unaware of the devastating revelations made by David Kay, the administration's chief weapons inspector who found no weapons, or by Richard Clarke, the former counterterrorism czar whose book "Against All Enemies" has been the talk of Washington for weeks.

A staggering 82 percent of respondents believed most experts supported the notion that Iraq was providing "substantial support" to al-Qaida -- a contention that President Bush himself has been forced to disavow.

Almost 60 percent were unaware that world opinion was overwhelmingly against the war in Iraq, with 21 percent saying the world was behind the U.S.-led invasion and 38 percent saying views were "evenly divided."

The organizers of the poll attributed the confusion -- or ignorance -- to the groundwork carefully laid by the administration before the war and its largely uncritical echo in the mainstream media.

Among those who believed inspectors had found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, 72 percent said they would vote to re-elect Bush in November and 23 percent said they supported his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry. Among those who knew that no WMD had been found, the numbers were almost exactly reversed -- 74 percent supporting Kerry and 23 percent backing the president.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/170469_iraqpoll24.html

[Canadian_moderate]

1. I like America, but...

there are a lot of dumbasses in your country. I love to see Bush ousted, but I have a bad feeling that Kerry doesn't have what it takes to convince the dumb segment of your population.

[CompassionateLiberal]

2. I agree, but...

I think the dumb-asses, as you put it, are not in a position to be convinced by reason and rationale alone. They are subconsciously too emotionally invested in the propaganda of fear, that it would take near complete control of all media messaging to break free of their ignorance. Unfortunately, there is too much money to be made through an ideology and policy of fear, than reason and compassion.

[atre]

3. Don't blame the people

Responsibility lies in one place: the media.

They have a responsibility to correct things like this, to make sure that people don't come away with these kinds of misimpressions. They've failed miserably.

[enki23]

4. there's the most dramatic split in this country

the ignorant vs the informed. bush has the ignorant vote sewn up.

[CompassionateLiberal]

5. The article explains it perfectly

"The organizers of the poll attributed the confusion -- or ignorance -- to the groundwork carefully laid by the administration before the war and its largely uncritical echo in the mainstream media."

[PATRICK]

6. "uncritical echo"???

It was more like active, bloodthirsty cheerleading. And it was used with blinders and sound dampers with regard to a wave of data and protest around the world and within the country.

Uncritical echo doesn't cut it. In Lincoln's day they tarred and feathered many news editors who primped for the defeat of the Union. That was because they went against the war. When it comes to the other way, primping FOR war and the president, they know they don't have to fear the "fear" and macho anger of the decent people.

[Name removed]

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