hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaahhhh shit! amazing.

Bold words, ECB.

Actually, it all sounds like a kid's "Oh, I really fucked up" bluster, doesn't it? The last-ditch burst of denial-based rationalizing before the painful truth sinks in.

Who the hell did they poll to get that data, Gomer and Jethro? They surely didn't ask anyone who actually reads a newspaper.

How is it that Americans have become such sheep, so persuadable by manipulative propaganda? In no other country, anywhere in the world, does anyone except the lunatic fringe and/or the autocratic Bush-friendly robber-baron class even pretend to believe such outright falsehoods.

Unfortunately, I know people that would have answered like those in this poll. They're like those WWII japanese soldiers that they find on deserted islands that think the war is still on.

This makes me want to cry...

Interesting. The title to Josh's preceeding Slog post also applies to this one.

Erica:

The original source of this study is a Washington Times article -- not the Monthly, which merely links to it.

In other words, it might as well have come from Fox News.

Also worth noting from this poll:
***

What the public believes to be true

U.S. adults believe that the following are true about the war in Iraq:

Seventy-two percent believe that the Iraqis are better off now than they were under Saddam Hussein (slightly down from February 2005 when 76 percent said this was true).

Just over half (55%) think history will give the U.S. credit for bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq (down substantially from 64% in February 2005).

Sixty-four percent say it is true that Saddam Hussein had strong links to Al Qaeda (the same as 64% in February 2005).
***

Hmmm ... they didn't seem to mention that in the Washington Times, did they.

I believe that George Bush personally reaches up with his bare hands and stops the missiles from striking us. Thank you, George Bush, for saving me every night.

I thought of a suggested lead-in:

"In a striking counterargument to the New York Times' best-seller The Wisdom of Crowds,..."

I get so tired of poll results that are trotted out as truth. The figures depend entirely on the sample population used and, frankly, I'd question the validity of any data based on the fact that it comes from people who are even willing to answer pollsters questions. What was the size of their sample? What were the demographics of the sample, other than morons?

sigh. well, when you're lied to 24/7, what do you expect? some people are just plain gullible.

I amend my previous comment. Since this comes from the Moonie Times, yes, obviously they DID poll Gomer and Jethro. Credulous, gullible, obedient, and Moonie - funny how they all work together, isn't it?

The other day, I stumbled on this totally sweet site:

http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm

that compares polls on every issue taken by the nation's biggest news and polling organizations (Gallup, Harris, Fox, AP, Washington Post and MORE!). Check it out if you want to be scared.

I'm at the point where I believe most polls, except for those conducted by the Washington Times. Americans just really are that stupid.

Oh, please. The respondents who think the Iraqi people are better off are probably the ones who think the people were living in tents and never had electricity or running water before the American troops came.

As I said before, there is a finite demographic who is willing to take telephone polls. How many of you have land-lines? Answer calls that come from unknown, restricted, or 800 numbers? Spend the majority of your time at home by the phone? Are willing to talk with a telemarketer?

I believe that 82.47% of all statistics are simply made up on the spot.