Comments on: Touchdown! Americans Support Israel Over Palestinians, 57-6

By: Cheney

Cheney — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Here is what Dick Cheney would say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SypeZjeOrY4

By: Jacqueline_Hyde

Jacqueline_Hyde — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Madness! It's like the Stockholm Syndrome has taken over the whole nation. America, you are a boob.

By: A blogger from Lebanon

A blogger from Lebanon — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

This appears to be a politically motivated and likely fabricated "poll". The ones conducting the poll are Republican party strategists and others hired by the Israel Project. I will believe the results when it comes from a reliable source, such as Gallup. Not that I have a hard time believing that Americans sympathize with Israel. It's unfortunate that people often don't know who their real enemies are, often until it is too late.

By: Colin Murray

Colin Murray — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

There are two major problems with reading too much into this poll. First, it is attempting to measure the breadth of support within the general public. This may make for 'feel good' results, but not necessarily ones that are relevant to estimating feasibility limits on potential foreign policy proposals. Second, it makes no explicit attempt to measure the 'depth' of support.

I think it's important to note that the distribution of American opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and our role in it are not necessarily the same for the general population and the subset I have heard called 'opinion makers'. The views of those in the defense and foreign policy communities who are involved in the development and especially execution of policy are of particular note. Many of these people are not fools, and some will even put American interests first.

The ugly reality is that most Americans are sheep, and will go where they are lead unless you threaten some truly fundamental basic interest. If the 'opinion-makers' are on board with changing our role in the I-P conflict, the general public will not care ENOUGH TO SQUAWK as long as they have jobs that pay enough to keep them in 6-packs and cable television. Does anyone think that the majority of the general public who have sided with Israel in this poll are going to care enough to make a fuss if President-Elect Obama pushes forward an aggressive peace plan now that they they are reaping what they have sown for the last 8 years? They want economic stability and healthcare for their children far more than they want to see settlements in the OPT expand.

The pollsters had a pretty good idea of the answers they would get ahead of time, and designed the questions with more than just an eye for gauging general American public opinion. Their primary objective is to impart to the 'opinion makers' (those who will even be aware of the poll's existence) a false notion of constraints that President-Elect Obama would face in implementing a peace plan that includes withdrawal of Israeli colonies from the OPT. The general public is not the battleground, don't let them fool you into thinking it is, and that our side is losing. They do not have justice on their side, and their perception management operations will only work if we behave like 'traditional Democratics' and roll over and let them. For the record, although I have am a stalwart support of President-Elect Obama, I am not, never have been, and likely never will be, a member of the Democratic Party.

By: RobotWisdom

RobotWisdom — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

new party in israel:

On November 1, she went to the offices of Martin Focus Groups in Alexandria, Virginia, knowing she would be paid $150 for two hours of her time. After joining a half dozen other women in a conference room, she discovered that she had been called in for what seemed an unusual assignment: to help test-market language that could be used to sell military action against Iran to the American public. "The whole basis of the whole thing was, 'we're going to go into Iran and what do we have to do to get you guys to along with it?" says Sonnenmark, 49........

ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2007/11/freedoms-watch-iran.html

By: John Dickerson, Atlanta

John Dickerson, Atlanta — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

I should have explained above that the focus grouping was being done by The Israel Project as the updated article by Ms. Rozen explains.

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

I would neither believe nor dismiss the poll.

I've coordinated some polling (on energy issues). It is VERY EASY to construct the conclusions that you wish.

The most reliable polls are the ones that are conducted for the purpose of gathering information, and usually kept confidential.

All others (left and right) have an element of push (communication in the process of polling, and loaded deck in the range and categorization of responses).

If you found out that the results of the poll were consistent, even with Americans being fully informed, what would your response be?