New Poll Shows Majority Favors Impeachment-It Also Shows Independents Aren't "In the Middle" at all

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/8579

New Poll Shows Majority Favors Impeachment - It Also Shows Independents Aren't "In the Middle" at all.
by Dave Lindorff


The latest poll by American Research Group, showing that 54 percent of Americans favor impeaching Vice President Dick Cheney, and that 46 percent favor impeaching President Bush, is encouraging news for impeachment advocates. Despite a corporate media blackout on impeachment that means almost nobody in the country knows that there is already a Cheney impeachment bill in the House with 14 co-sponsors (HR 333), over half the country nonetheless wants Cheney to get the boot.

And despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's insistence that "impeachment is off the table," almost half the people in the country say they want the president impeached.

But other information in this scientific poll, which was conducted by random telephone calls to 1100 Americans during July 2-3, should have Democrats like Pelosi and other party leaders rethinking their obstructive position on impeachment.

The Democratic leadership has been opposed to impeachment based on the absurd that while it is clearly popular among Democrats, an impeachment effort in Congress could "turn off" independent voters.

In fact the opposite appears to be true.

The American Research Group poll also reports that 50 percent of independents favored the impeachment of Bush while 51 percent of them favored impeaching Cheney. Hard to see how taking that position could be hurting Democrats with independents. Moreover, the poll found that 13 percent of Republicans wanted to see Bush impeached, while 17 percent wanted Cheney impeached. That is, roughly one in six Republicans would look favorably on a House impeachment effort, whichever member of the administration was the target! And Pelosi is against the idea for fear of alienating voters on the right.

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[blondeatlast]

1. Here's the money quote:

What this suggests is that the prevailing wisdom among Democratic strategists, that independents are some mythical "middle of the road" group, is wildly off the mark. In fact, many independents appear to be to the left of the Democratic Party, particularly when it comes to how to handle the behavior of the criminal Bush administration. Or maybe left isn't the right word. They are more concerned about preserving democracy than the Democratic Party is.

Haven't we been saying this for years? Winning DNC strategy? Wake up and listen to the roots.

[francislholland]

3. What's the hold up! Let's move on impeachment!

[EFerrari]

4. Sometimes I think the DLC has been waiting for a go ahead sign

from Wall Street. And, if the NYTs today is any indication, they seem to be getting one. :shrug:

[Forkboy]

2. K&R for a good read.

[Hubert Flottz]

5. And that is before a case is made in public at the impeachment

hearings, where the evidence will ALL be presented.

[davidwparker]

6. Right. One mistake that the Dems make is that impeachment would

cause the independents to vote republicon. This, of course, means that no independents are in favor of impeachment and is entirely an incorrect view. For these independents, impeachment could also mean sealing the deal in 2008 for the Dems.

I'm getting closer and closer to becoming independent/Green. For me, Dems not going forward with impeachment would cause me to stay home.

Why are independents growing? Because both parties suck right now and isn't responding to the people.

[PurityOfEssence]

7. VERY misleading title

Most people, when reading about poll results for impeachment support, think it means for Bush. This shows that a majority of the country doesn't support that.

Impeachment won't work, at least not yet; perhaps the impeachment could pass the House, but the Senate won't vote to convict. Maybe that'll change, but that's how it is now.