Obama Blagojevich Scandal Involvement Believed By 45% Of Voters: Poll

Blogger Matt Yglesias has been in Finland lately, studying up on their education policy, but all it took was a single viewing of Morning Joe to bring him up to speed with the new way the political press corps has been abusing their platform:

[T]his morning on MSNBC there was a lengthy discussion of Obama's involvement in Blagojevich's corruption. Of course, there was no evidence of any involvement on Obama's part. Nor, despite this being a news channel, was there any original reporting of any kind whatsoever. There was, however, a ton of time spent criticizing the Obama campaign's PR strategy with regard to this issue -- the suggestion being that had Obama adopted a better PR strategy, then people wouldn't be on television making evidence-free guilt-by-association accusations against him.

This strong me as odd. The people making the accusations kept acknowledging that they had no evidence. One might think that communicating to television personalities the fact that there was no evidence of wrongdoing on Obama's part would constitute a good PR strategy. Given that they knew there was no evidence of wrongdoing, they should have ceased implying that there was wrongdoing. But they didn't do that at all. Not, I would submit, because of any failings on Obama's part, but because Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, John Heileman, Mark Halperin, and Pat Buchanan don't care at all about the accuracy of the impression their coverage gives.

I really can't sum up the past week of coverage any better. What I can do, however, is relate the effects of this coverage. Via Rasmussen Reports:

Forty five percent (45%) of U.S. voters say it is likely President-elect Obama or one of his top campaign aides was involved in the unfolding Blagojevich scandal in Illinois, including 23% who say it is Very Likely.

Just 11% say it is not at all likely, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken Thursday and Friday nights.

A key finding, by the way? "Voters nationally are more skeptical than those in Illinois."

What can I say? THE SYSTEM WORKS.

Comments

[fireW]

Yet again the fantasy and myth of the "liberal" media is demonstrated. Same old tired MO of the right; keep telling the big lie and morons will eventually buy it . . . . They NEVER learn.

[levelshot]

The 45% that believe Obama is tied to blagojevich were polled on The Rush Limbaugh Crazy & Clueless Show.

[hortonhearsawho2]

45% of voters from the poll took their bedsheets to the cleaners immediately afterwards­...

[jnah]

please stop it with the crap already! theres no proof of wrongdoing and still all these what-ifs. any reporter who wastes there time with this is a joke. what has happened to news these days!?

[lindamas]

I am new to this board. Has anybody started a petition against the advertisers of the 3 channels? Seems to me that in this economy, that is the only effective tool we can use. This story gets me sick after all the garbage we went through with Bush.

[shevas01]

Lindamas, I am with you!! Some how we have got to take the news to task for reporting unsubstantiated innuendo and rumor. Maybe they should be called news-O-tainment or something like it since they now create the news instead of reporting it. This being able to say whatever you want without any facts to back it up is ridiculous and unamerican. Peoples lives can get ruined over innuendo when facts don't support it or in Obama's case directly refutes it.

[plzchuteme]

Good post! One can simply stop watching, but no one who matters will ever know. The alternative is to take the time and energy used to rant on this post, and instead, write the sponsors of these shows and tell them that you are sorry, but you won't be seeing their commercials anymore and will forget that they even exist within a week.

[Gabrielle]

POLL NOTHING BUT B.S.

[keepemhonest]

When is Karl Rove going to be arrested?

[NJmikeV]

don't forget the rest

http://suzieqq.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/criminals-in-the-bush-administration/

[keepemhonest]

The "wording" of the question in the poll is vague.

The question is: " How likely is it that President-elect Obama or one of his top campaign aides was involved in the Blagojevich scandal?."

-- Personally, I think someone in Obama's camp contacted the Feds ... I wonder how many people that answered that question in the "likely or somewhat likely" -- think Obama's camp involvment was turning Blago into the Feds?

Perhaps the GOP leaning Rasmussen intentionally was vague & had no followup as to "TYPE" of involvement?

[Matt7]

Somebody please help me. Seriously. WHY ISN'T THIS SORT OF ITHING LLEGAL?

Having to fill a 24/7 news cycle is no excuse.

Why is it legal to trash reputations, careers, relationships, associations through innuendo, implication -- especially when it can obviously be proven that the results are detrimental -- with no repercussions?

Why can't the media (and even rabid bloggers) be held accountable for their lies, slander, defamation?

If politicians and public figures are fair game and open sport, so, too is Jane Doe & John Q Citizen.

We've become America the Sleazy!

[dayindalife]

answer: 1st amedment,good or bad. I don't want any laws that would change it.

[ltva]

I watched CNN last night and the panel on Lou Dobbs even went as far as to say Obama was too careful during his press conference yesterday; said he was very careful in picking just the right words and if the Att Gen wanted the report withheld then that should have come from the Att Gen and not Obama. This is sickening. If Obama says nothing he's got something to hide; when he speaks then he is 'too careful' with his words and having the Pres elect say something is not good enough for the media they now want the Att Gen to back it up. The way the news is reported needs to be reviewed. I know about freedom of press but sometimes it goes too far in tainting people for no reason.

[rbspickles]

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty in this country? Sheeshe :(

[SurrealPumpkin]

Bush, Enron, AIG, Madoff, dotComs, Iraq, FISA.

We've learned the lesson well. Now we have a whole new lesson to learn. I hope we get this one faster.

[RomeoinFl]

Well this question is vague. "Involved" could it be involved because they felt the Obama team approached Blago with Obama's favorites, or because they felt Rahm turned him in, or because it is Obama's seat. The better question is Did Obama do something wrong.

[exotic]

once you connect the dots, it is shown how the corporate media, pharmaceutical companies, oil giants, etc... are all one big connection.

This is why the media and its talking heads are who they are and what they report.

[omenapt]

...and keep all the confusion and mistrust and divisions among Americans , as this suits them quite well for profit... These folks DO NOT want the US to succeed... They are all very highly paid and see the world from selfish POV's and prefer status quo. i think this country is screwed and as much as I love Obama, this cra" #p will keep his effectivenss diminished!

[Iraq war of choice]

So what. Those fools were the ones who thought he was an A-rab too.

We won, screw them good.

[sheputstheLinPAIN]

that darned left wing media!