Poll Shows 99% of Iraqiis Don't Want U.S. There. [NPR Talk Show Host Claims]

Wisconsin Public Radio ^ | June 18, 2004 | StACase

[StACase]

My E-Mail to Dave Berkman of Wisconsin Public Radio:

During your 3:00 show this afternoon, I heard you claim 98% of Iraqiis don't view the US as liberating Iraq per some poll. It didn't ring very true to me. So I looked up recent polls on the internet, here's what I found so far.

Here's a more recent article:

I don't see your 98% figure.

Steve Case

Dave Berkman's Response:

I read this yesterday as I wrote something about it for my column. I read 4 papers a day, the JS, USA Today the Chi Trib & the NYTimes. It was in one of those (I daonlty recall which) -- but it was specific as to the CPA poll sponsorship and the 2%.

--Dave Berkman

[oblomov]

Sample methodology: we found 40 "random" Iraqis standing on a smoldering Humvee, jumping and cheering.

[Blood of Tyrants]

They polled the people that their reporters hang out with in Iraq, Al Queda and Sadr's Shiiteheads, and 98% of them said tha tthey didn't want the US there. The other 2% were killed.

[caltaxed]

WASHINGTON - A poll of Iraqis commissioned by the U.S.-backed government has provided the Bush administration a stark picture of anti-American sentiment — more than half of Iraqis believe they would be safer if U.S. troops simply left. The poll, commissioned by the Coalition Provisional Government last month

Over 1K surveyed. Our troops have their hands full

[nmh]

NPR is a mouthpiece for the left. If you believe that, e-mail me privately about the fabuous purchase of prime rea; estate for $1.00.

[jocko12]

Now you see how a reporter gets his info to write about. TABLOIDS

[WOSG]

I have to tell you:

I dont believe the polls.

here is why: One poll result said that 75% 'feared for their life' if they were to 'collaborate' with the coalition?

So a stranger comes and asks them questions - how would you expect them to respond?

Dont any of them see that the blame for violence falls on the terrorists and thugs?

So, if you saw a poll that said 98% would vote for Saddam Hussein, like they did 2 years ago? Is that honesty ... or fear?

Sadly, we missed our chance to totally crush the Saddamite opposition. Maybe it was impossible; too much power and muslim bigotry.

[WOSG]

Right!!!
Pollaganda to make it sound like something it is not.
I do vote for "pull out when no longer needed".

Do you want an airforce base operating 24/7 right behind your backyard?
No 98%
Yes 2%

Media sez "Only 2% support building airforce bases"

same kind of pollaganda here.

[bootless]

That sounds suspiciously close to the 99% of the vote that ol' Saddam got in the last election.

[gogipper]

When you are assaulted by bogus polls that sample from predictable parts of IRAQ and not from the Kurdish area, balance the stated thought of the populace with measurable action. From todays Strategy Page::::::::::



IRAQ: Terrorist Attacks Boost Army Recruiting


June 18, 2004: Yesterday's suicide bombing of an Iraqi army recruiting center killed 41 and wounded over a hundred. This is only the latest of dozens of attacks on Iraqi police and army facilities. It has not diminished the number of volunteers, or, at least not to the point where the recruiters are running out of men willing to serve. While for most men, the dangerous police and military work is mainly a job, the continuing attacks on Iraqis by terrorists has inflamed the population. For a long time it was popular to blame the United States for the attacks, but eventually reality worked its way through to most Iraqis and they realized that if they were to be free and able to run their own affairs, they would have to deal with the terrorists (Iraqi and foreign) in their midst. This was helped along by a long running American psychological warfare campaign that stressed the self-reliance angle, and reminded everyone that, while Saddam was captured, most of his blood soaked henchmen are still out and about. Apparently, attacks like this increase the number of recruits wanting to take part in the war on terror.

[okie01]

"The man, aged in his late fifties, sees himself as a victim. His family lost an estate that he says he should have inherited."

A "victim". But, in his mind, the blame does not lie with the perpetrators, but with the liberators.

He would, no doubt, have made a good "Bolshevik" himself. Perhaps, the party would've given him his family's estate as a dacha.

It takes a certain type to be a condescending liberal.

[Fred Nerks]

'...but in his mind, the blame does not lie with the perpetrators...'

And that's the key. The inability to identify who the true enemy really is.

"He would, no doubt, have made a good 'Bolshevik' himself."

Is exactly what he is looking foward to. He dreams of a socialist state.

And in parting at the door, the last thing he said, was he can't wait to read Bill Clinton's book. He had pre-paid on Amazon. It promises to be a great book, he said...as he walked into the night...

[Rennes Templar]

Another poll has shown that 99% of the media don't want Bush to be re-elected.

[pepsionice]

Amongst the other data that Berkman discovered:

- 42 percent of Iraqis perfer ice cream over apple pie

- 88 percent of Iraqis prefer Colombo over Bonanaz

- 16 percent of Iraqis wanted Madonna to be their next door neighbor

- 42 percent of Iraqis wanted Kerry to select Barry Bonds as his VP

- 22 percent of Iraqis voiced bad thoughts over the Lakers losing the NBA title.

- and finally...100 percent of Iraqis thought NPR was the best station that money could buy.

[Bernard]

I daonlty recall which

Could somebody please tell me what language that is? I just don't recognize it.

[Watery Tart]

Coulda been worse.


Coulda been a Jean Feraca poetry day on WPR.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I read 4 papers a day, the JS, USA Today the Chi Trib & the NYTimes

Therein lies his problem. All left winged birdcage liners.

[StACase]

(M'waukee: Dahmer, crypto, raw sewage in lake, Elton John at Harley--it's one thing after another.)

Nice tag line, however you forgot Liberace

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Duh! the headline is supposed to say 98%

With a margin of error of plus or minus 100%! Reminds me the fact that 90% of statistics are made up.

[Alissa]

According to their website, the public pays for 1-2% of their budget, which comes as grants from other publically funded organizations such as NEA, etc. Like you, I thought they were wholly funded by taxpayers so I a little investigations.

[blanknoone]

Follow the strings a few more rungs back. They are not (and I never thought they were) entirely funded by the gov't, but it is a whole lot more than 1-2%. Look at how many grants they get and programming costs paid from non gov't entities that are themselves funded by the gov't, like the CPB, corporation for public broadcasting. It is a web deliberately designed to obfuscate how much of their money is coming from taxpayers. While I have not seen anything about this program or station in particular, I have seen the sources of one of the NYC's NPR's dissected. About 40% of their money came from taxpayers, although usually through a very complex web of grants, fee sharing programs, cost sharing programs, etc etc etc. One of the things they do is pass money back and forth between levels to make it seem like there is more 'non-gov't' money in the system than there is. From a money in and money out perspective, I bet it is comparable to the 40%.