MEDIA WATCH: Right wing NewsMax 'poll' shows support for public workers, not for Scott Walker!
One of the hundreds of right wing outfits on the Internet, News Max.com, recently stuck a "poll" into many Web sites that were covering the events in Madison, Wisconsin. Because it was actually a poll (and not simply a button to say "I support Scott Walker," I took the poll, and NewsMax has published the results. Because the "poll" came from NewsMax, it was biased to the far right and of little use, except to measure how even among right wingers support for the reactionary Republicans in Wisconsin grows thinner by the week.
One clever blog calling itself "Down with tyranny" (http://down withtyranny.blogspot. com/2011/02/ how-different-is-scott-walker-from.html) has been circulating a Photoshopped version of Scott Walker as a Mohimar Quaddafi (above), but even some of Walker's own right wing supporters are beginning to wonder if he has gone too far, as even the most Walker-friendly polls show his disapproval ratings are enormous, while a recall campaign grows in strength across Wisconsin.Interestingly, the poll shows that even right wingers believe public workers should be paid the same, and that the majority of right wingers who took the poll support right winger Scott Walker.
The correlation between the percentage of people taking the poll who voted McCain/Palin in 2008 (versus those who voted for Obama/Biden) almost precisely mirrors the percentages for Walker. The most interesting revelation in the poll, which conservatives are not likely to want widely known, is that the majority of respondents, even in a right wing poll, believe that public workers are NOT overpaid. Even with a Push Poll from the Right, the ideologues are having trouble generating a "public" that supporters their reactionary policies. Could the end finally be in sight?
For those who don't subscribe to a hard core conservative (actually, Ayn Randist right wing) viewpoint, New Max can be a fruitful field trip. They are all there (see "News Max blogs") in one place, from George Will to Grover Nordquist and beyond. Anyone who has nothing to do but visit a reactionary zoo will find few locations on the Web that will yield more fun than NewsMax. We couldn't find their fashions (they used to sell tee shirts and other stuff that can only be characterized as imperialist pornography), but they really aren't worth more than five minutes from anybody with a life and other things to do.
ANYWAY, BELOW ARE THE NEWSMAX SURVEY RESULTS. No total "N" was provided, but it is doubtlessly around 500,000 (add the totals in each question below). Any Internet polling gets lots of hits. Remember, too, that the "poll" was placed through Google Ads into many places that were supporting the protests against Walker's legislation, even though it came from "NewsMax."
Do you support Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to reduce the power of public employee unions in his state?
Yes, I support him 454,472 (76%)
No, I don't support him 13,8626 (23%)
Do you believe public employee unions have become too powerful?
Yes, too powerful 452,675 (77%)
No, not too powerful 13,3302 (22%)
Do you believe public employee union members should be paid less, the same or more than employees with similar jobs in the private sector?
Pay them the same 490,886 (83%)
Pay them less 69,216 (11%)
Pay them more 25,835 (4%)
Do you believe President Obama was right when he came out against Gov. Walker?
Obama was right 13,6558 (23%)
Obama was wrong 449,378 (76%)
Do you plan on voting to re-elect President Obama in 2012?
Yes, re-elect 10,2326 (17%)
No, for another candidate 444,011 (75%)
Not sure right now 38,146 (6%)
Who did you vote for in 2008?
McCain - Palin 399,885 (68%)
Obama - Biden 132,651 (22%)
Other 53,350 (9%)
