Posted on 08/08/2011 2:23:04 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A majority of voters reject the depiction of Tea Party activists as “terrorists,” a new Rasmussen poll shows … but not a terribly large majority, given the ridiculously demagogic attack it represents. Fifty-five percent say that the Tea Party didn’t act like “economic terrorists” during the negotiations over the debt ceiling and deficit spending, while 29% — more than one in four voters — see equivalency between the Tea Party’s use of representative government and, say, al-Qaeda:
Democrats and their media friends have charged the Tea Party with being economic terrorists during the congressional budget debates, but most voters don’t see it that way.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of Likely U.S. Voters, in fact, say members of the Tea Party are not economic terrorists. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% believe Tea Party members have been terrorists during the budget debates, while another 16% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Perhaps tellingly, while 53% of Democrats view Tea Party members as terrorists, 57% of voters not affiliated with either major party disagree, as do 74% of Republicans.
Interestingly, despite the 29% who claim that the Tea Party is a terrorist organization, only 43% think that they made the situation worse in the negotiations. That mostly comes from Democrats (7/73), while Republicans are supportive of their role (53/17). Independents are split evenly at 37%, with 14% saying no impact and 12% unsure. That doesn’t indicate too much danger for the GOP sticking to Tea Party principles in the fight over spending and debt.
On the sales pitch for the Tea Party as a form of economic terrorism, Democrats seem to be ringing up mainly a No Sale. They get a majority among self-described liberals, but not a terribly impressive one (55/31) and almost an even split among black voters, their most loyal constituency (45/42). Independents reject it in almost the same ratio as the general sample, 21/57, as do self-described moderates, 29/50). The negative gets a majority response in every age demographic, and majorities or pluralities in every income demographic, even the <$20K category (31/45).
The fact that they can even get 29% to agree that pursuing policy changes through representative government is akin to “terrorism” is depressing, but it has a silver lining. It looks like Democrats and self-professed liberals are marginalizing themselves fast in this media meme du jour.
On that note, here’s a video from a friend of mine in the Twin Cities area. Sunny’s production needs a little tweaking, but she captures the disconnect between this meme and reality, and the impossible nature of the sales pitch:
How long before one of the DUrtbags decides to shoot a ‘terrorist’ or ‘hostage taker’?
Hmmm...must be the non taxpaying, Obummer voting idiots.
not surprised... disappointed as usual but not surprised.
They are called Democrats!!!
Backlash is coming. Called it yesterday and already people said BS.
Dems are in deep doo doo this time.
Thus the last election for President on both sides.
29% buy the pathetic democrat lie...mainly because that many view the Tea Party as a threat to their ideological, marxist agenda.
Well, this is an improvement. The dupes used to be 43% when Clinton was pres.
Where are the republicans to respond? They ought to be grinding zero’s face into it day after day. Except for Bachman I don’t hear much.
For goodness sakes, thank you!
....that 29% doesn’t call al-Queda or Hamas “terrorists”.
What happened to all the calls for civility?
LOL. It is also true that 29% of spoiled children whose credit cards are taken away by their parents, agree with “Cheap Parents are Terrorists” depiction.
7 to 1...I’ll take those odds in CWII.
They are just looking to get some of that Obama money stash after all.
I thought Harry Reid said the Tea Party is dying off and won’t be an issue in 2012 elections, but all of a sudden we are super powerful terrorists??????
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