Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Gitmo

[Pangloss]

A new Rasmussen Reports survey shows a 70% approval for the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Clearly the left wing of American politics has failed to make its case.

 

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Gitmo.htm

 

June 22, 2005--A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 20% of Americans believe prisoners at Guantanamo Bay have been treated unfairly. Seven-out-of-ten adults believe the prisoners are being treated "better than they deserve" (36%) or "about right" (34%).

 

The survey also found that just 14% agree with people who say that prisoner treatment at Guantanamo Bay is similar to Nazi tactics. Sixty-nine percent disagree with that comparison. This helps explain why Illinois Senator Dick Durbin apologized for making such a comparison.

[revprez]

A new Rasmussen Reports survey shows a 70% approval for the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Clearly the left wing of American politics has failed to prove its case.

 

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Gitmo.htm

 

More to the point' date=' I'm still waiting for the critics to start jumping on the French for their treatment of terror suspects. And here is the real issue:

 

The nation pursues such policies at a time when France has become well known in the world for criticizing the United States for holding suspected terrorists at Guantanamo without normal judicial protections. French politicians have also loudly protested the U.S. decision to invade Iraq, arguing that it has exacerbated tensions with the Islamic world and has increased the threat of terrorism.

 

If only Europeans had as much sense as their security institutions.

 

Rev Prez

[atinymonkey]

A new Rasmussen Reports survey shows a 70% approval for the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Interesting. Are rasmussen reports widely used in the US? I've never heard of an autodialer poll before' date=' I'm not sure how well it would be taken in the UK.

 

More to the point, I'm still waiting for the critics to start jumping on the French for their treatment of terror suspects.

You are about 60 years too late. I think your point might have more weight if France had anything approaching a fair judicial system. The deplorable conditions in the French prison system have been berated for almost a century. I know European news is not popular over in the US, but it's well recognised that the French courts are treating the ex Guantanamo suspects with less consideration than the US showed. Perhaps external politics hold as little interest to the American media as external opinions do.

 

I'm not aware that the French ever criticised the US over Guantanamo, I certainly cannot find any direct quotes or statements to that effect. I suspect the Washington Post has exaggerated the French opinion, but if there is any evidence to the contrary it would certainly be interesting.

 

If only Europeans had as much sense as their security institutions.

If only americans were less fat and stoopid, ahahaha.

 

O_o

 

Hey look, bigotry isn't funny.

[Pangloss]

Interesting. Are rasmussen reports widely used in the US? I've never heard of an autodialer poll before, I'm not sure how well it would be taken in the UK.

 

Yes, in fact Rasmussen polls were the most widely read and distributed polls during the most recent Presidential election cycle. (The Gallup people must be idiots, requiring a paid subscription to look at even their basic poll statistics. Bizarre.)

 

Regarding the subject of autodialers, that's not just a Rasmussen thing, although I don't know precisely how widespread their use is. If memory serves, political pollsters are exempt from normal telemarketing restrictions. (Autodialing is normally illegal in the state of Florida, for example.)

 

(BTW, "autodial" doesn't necessarily mean "pre-recorded call". A human may very well be on the line when you answer the phone. Pre-recored calling is also illegal in Florida, and the political pollsters have an exception to that as well.)

[Douglas]

I thought it was Rasmussen who only polled people who were likely voters.

[Dak]

Pre-recored calling is also illegal in Florida

amen to that! I wish the same were true in the UK.

 

 

 

is it just me, or do the figures of the rasmussen report not add up?

 

Treatment of Prisoners at Guantanomo Bay

 

Unfair 20%

 

Better than they deserve 36%

 

About Right 34%

 

that totals 90%... is there an unreported responce which 10% opted for, or is that just survey error? (seems a tad high if the latter)

 

or am i missing something?

[abeefaria]

If you think the negative remarks by the demoncats in Congress are laughable, you might like to see the t-shirts offered at Rush's site. You can see them here: eib store

 

I think the shirts are hilarious and plan on buying at least 2, haha.

[Pangloss]

that totals 90%... is there an unreported responce which 10% opted for, or is that just survey error? (seems a tad high if the latter)

 

or am i missing something?

 

Follow the link in the first post -- some additional (not complete) information about the poll is available there. Usually the poll percentages do not add up to 100%. There's a link on methadologies there. The Wikipedia has a good article on opinion polls as well, as I dimly recall.

[atinymonkey]

Yes' date=' in fact Rasmussen polls were the most widely read and distributed polls during the most recent Presidential election cycle. (The Gallup people must be idiots, requiring a paid subscription to look at even their basic poll statistics. Bizarre.)

[/quote']

Ah, I see. We have a problem over here with polling of opinions, we use the traditional methods, but there never really seems to be an adequate way of judging opinion. I suppose the Rasmussen will work in the US because the name is recognised, and your more likely to answer the questions on a cold call.

 

One of the problems with political disagreements is the faction that is opposed to government is very vocal, while the supporters don't need to be in any way outspoken. In the Iraq debates it appeared that in the UK most people opposed the invasion, while the results of our recent election showed a strong support for the war that had previously been completely underestimated.

 

In regards to the poll itself, I'm not sure the results would be much different over in Europe. I think it's a misconception that Europe opposes Guantanamo to such an extreme degree as the supporters suppose. It's been pointed out before, but the methods are European in origin anyway.

[j_p]

The poll appears to have been very simple; it does not seem to ask whether the respondent believes in reports of abuse. So the 70% will include those who think the alleged abuses are acceptable, those who do not believe the alleged abuses occured [or at least are common], and those who have not heard of the alleged abuses.

[Dak]

Follow the link in the first post -- some additional (not complete) information about the poll is available there. Usually the poll percentages do not add up to 100%. There's a link on methadologies there. The Wikipedia has a good article on opinion polls as well, as I dimly recall.

I did... it didnt shed any light on it. in fact, there are more stats that ad up to significantly less than 100%: for example, 14% liken the bay detainees treatment to nazi tactics, 69% disagree, total = 83%, with no mention of x% holding 'no oppinion'.

 

i dont suppose that it matters all that much, id just like to know where the missing %s are.

[YT2095]

If only Europeans had as much sense as their security institutions.

 

there ya go again with this "european" stuff, qualify your definition of "european" I don`t want to know the politics etc... just a definition.

[revprez]

there ya go again with this "european" stuff, qualify your definition of "european" I don`t want to know the politics etc... just a definition.

 

Someone who lives in Europe; specifically the majority that identifies with the liberal world view.

 

Rev Prez

[revprez]

The tone has changed.

 

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas' date=' is one of many Democrats who have called for an independent commission to investigate abuse allegations and said the facility should close.

 

Lee stopped short of changing her position after the visit, but acknowledged, ''What we've seen here is evidence that we've made progress."[/quote']

 

Rev Prez