Somehow, I don’t see these numbers as good news.
Our InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion poll asked this:
“Would you favor or oppose the impeachment by Congress of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney?”
Favor: 39 percent.
Oppose: 55 percent.
Undecided/Don’t Know: 6 percent.
The survey of 621 registered voters has been weighted for age, race, gender and political affiliation. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
About four out of 10 Americans favor impeaching the president and vice president. But the biggest news from this survey is not the overall results, but the opinions of independent voters, who usually decide presidential elections.
Forty-two percent of independents want Bush and Cheney impeached. These aren’t just voters who disapprove of the White House.
We probably need in the neighborhood of 70%-75% in favor for Senate Republicans to get the message. Still…with 45% of the country not outright opposed to impeachment, it can hardly be called a radical or fringe position.
Waxman, Conyers, and Leahy will keep pushing. Check back in around September. I hear that’s the month when Republicans plan on making a decision about the war (and by implication, the President).
Who cares? Let them eat cake, goddamnit!
Just kidding.
Public opinion is totally media driven and the media is totally corporate driven so let’s not count on public opinion to drive the impeachment process.
Impeachment is morally and ethically mandatory and it’s not a question of whether we have the votes or whether the media is willing to package “impeachment” for consumption.
It has to happen. History is watching.
Also, can you imagine what the figures would be if a question like the following were asked:
I think the figures would be a lot higher, probably around 60-65%. Of course, this would be the right question to ask. The public are uninformed both as to the nature of impeachment and the actual scope of the Bush regime’s crimes, due to the propagandistic nature of the corporate media, as you note.
Yes I agree 100% that most people don’t understand what impeachment means. It’s not firing the president, it’s a formal investigation of evidence that points to wrongdoing.
Hell, if these were numbers for/against GW, the White House/MSM would be referring to a mandate!