The Ministry Of Disinformation

Ellen brings up this kind of interesting thing:

A co-worker today told me she use to like [Bush]. Now she thinks he's sneaky. I felt pretty good about that. She's very "deep South" and very opinionated.

And I say it’s interesting because I had a conversation with a guy today and it was about what Americans really think about the lousy Bush administration.

And, like Ellen, I know a ton of Republicans who no longer like Bush.  I know a ton of Republicans who not only didn’t think he would beat Kerry, but more than a few of them voted for Kerry.

They just thought Bush was a total disaster.

And I live in one of the most conservative towns in the entire country--Bush actually came to my town twice during the election year.

And today, I got online and I saw this CNN poll, and the overwhelming response was that people thought Bush’s speech blew:

And there was another one on MSNBC with nearly the exact same results, but I can’t find it now, and it’s too much trouble to keep looking for it.

And so I remarked to this guy I was having lunch with about this poll, and he said when he signed onto America Online this morning there was the exact same poll with nearly the exact same numbers.

Over seventy percent of Americans are appalled at Bush.

Now I know these are just online polls.  And they’re subject to all kinds of hanky panky—people voting again and again, web sites linking to the polls to encourage mass voting, whatever.

But, then again, they’re exposed to this kind of hanky panky from both parties.  And unless anyone has any kind of evidence that one party has more internet access than the other, or one party is more adept at manipulating online polls than the other, frankly, even if there is foul play, I figure it’s a wash—Republicans cheat, Democrats cheat.

The polls end up pretty close to the truth in the end.

And this reminded me of a lot of the internet polls during the election year that showed Kerry whipping Bush.  And the exit polls which showed Kerry beating Bush.

And I just got this terrible paranoia. 

I mean, everytime Americans get to voluntarily offer their opinions with no middle man--no Republican dominated middle man--like seventy percent of them disapprove of Bush and whatever he’s doing.

Everytime our corporately controlled media reports on how we Americans feel about Bush, we hear numbers like just over half of us disapprove.  Nearly fifty percent of us approve.

And I just wonder:  why the discrepancy? 

You study statistics, you understand the margins of error, and there’s no reason that these online polls should be so different than what Gallup, a corporation whose CEO is a Republican, tells us.

Or what ABC, owned by Disney, or CBS, owned by Viacom, or NBC, owned by General Electric tell us their poll results show.

Statisticly, they should be the same.

And, yet, these direct internet polls are so different than what our conservative, corporately controlled media keeps telling us their polls reflect.

It’s strange.

The guy I was having lunch with is not a Che Guevera, beret wearing, bandoleir wrapped, pinko, subversive like me.  He’s a guy who showed up in a Mercedes E 55, AMG model--with 500 horsepower, and lumbar massaging seats.  Shit,  he’s got paintings hanging in his living room that are worth more than my whole house.

And not only did he agree with me, but he was the one who said it, “I feel like we’re being lied to.  I really feel like we’re being manipulated on a grand scale.”

I feel that way, too.  I feel like not only are we not being told the truth about what we’re doing, but we’re not even being told the truth about how we feel.

We’re not even being told the truth about ourselves.

Comments

[gbreez]

Yup! Sux, doesn't it. I am beginning to be able to relate to the mouse in the trap...most uncomfortable.

[Ellen]

You say it so much better than me.

[mary]

Deep breath, sigh. Like we thought they were interested in what the individuals thought anyway or how we would vote. A survey of corporations would tell us what Bushcos think and what direction they should be taking. We the People don't matter anymore.

[rob]

Keep in mind that these polls shut out anyone without Internet access. You know there may be many poor to lower-middle-class social conservatives who would go to the wall for The Prince of Lies.

"Yep. he's a good Preznit all right! He won't let queers get a-hitched!"

[trueleigh]

I'm surprised that the CNN poll even made it out to the public.. .
Somedays it feels a little like "A Day in the Life of Winston Smith."

[Jerry]

Yeppers! "Lies, damned lies, and statistics."

But lets say that that "Nearly fifty percent of us approve." is correct (I do hold this to be a "Damned lie,") but let's just say it. According to the thornBush himself, that is a freaking MANDATE aginst his policies and actions...right? That is "political capital" to be used swaggeringly against him! Right? I mean, when he got 51 or 52% of the vote (which I don't believe for a minute, with Diebold counting our votes!) That was overwhelming approval...so having 48 or 49% of public approval HAS to be overwhelming disapproval...right?!?!

And I too know a number of Republicans (good ol' Eisenhower Republicans, that remember what their party used to stand for, who voted against him, are surprised he won (sort of,) and feel utterly betrayed.

[Janis]

I'm hearing it from the Republicans out this way, too. If they're not the rabid "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" type, then they have nearly all cooled off on Bush. It's a trend I could get used to. Even my company's CEO is now making the connection between how more money for wars means less money for health care for the poor and uninsured. She used to be a big Bush backer, but has now changed her tune, about 8 months too late.

[ricky]

The money is something democrats should be talking about every day. The amount of money we are going to spend in Iraq is mindblowing.

It's going to be more than ten years of Viet Nam; it's going to be more than the First World War. It's going to be more, without even anything else, than eight years of Reagan's out of control spending on the military.

And we're not paying it. Not a penny. We're borrowing all of it. And when the bill comes due, that stupid little $300 check Bush sent you to buy a single percentage of approval rating with is going to make you want to vomit.

Any idiot who thought we had high taxes before this moron Bush came into office is going to be floored by their tax bill when the American people have to pay for Bush's War and the out of control, wasteful, spending spree of the fiscally conservative Republican Congress.

[Jerry]

I had to laugh (though tears) when you mentioned the tax refund. The program of the right is so damn clear, and it seems all to be tested out here in California.

When Jerry (derogatory by the right: "Moonbeam") Brown left office as governor, we had a $5,000,000,000 surplus in the bank and a balanced budget (damn Democrats!)

George (what is it about that name?)Deukmejian came into office in '83 largely by proclaiming that the state holding that money was a "travesty" and sent everyone a tiny check. He then ran up a huge deficit we are still lumbered with.

The powers that be had already run Reagan ("If it takes a bloodbath, let's get it over with." (re: war protestors at SF State)and "If you've seen one redwood, you've seen them all.") up the flagpole here and proved an Alzheimers Republican could be elected.

Get ready for the Constitutional amendment that will allow an Austrian born, idiot Republican to become President, and continue, as he has here, to say that the budget has been balanced by borrowing money. Damn...I wish my budget got balanced when I did that!

[Ellen]

No new taxes, Ricky, until the debt comes due. He'll be long gone.