Thread: THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT: WHAT THEY THINK

CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL
For release: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
6:30 PM EDT

THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT: WHAT THEY THINK
April 5-12, 2010
Tea Partiers are nearly unified in their dismay with the country’s direction and their dislike of President Obama – part of a remarkable display of unanimity among political groups today. Among the 18% of Americans who say they support the Tea Party, nearly all - 92% - say the country is on the wrong track; 94% are angry or dissatisfied with how things are going in D.C. (53% are downright angry) and 92% prefer the idea of a smaller government.

There is also near-universal criticism of the current administration and government. 88% disapprove of the job President Barack Obama is doing, and only 7% approve. 96% disapprove of how Congress is handling its job.

With the anger, there’s deep concern: Tea Partiers express pessimism about the economy, its prospects for recovery and the future for American jobs.

SEE POLLING DATA AT

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/poll_ ... ontentBody

ONE BLOGGERS SUMMARY OF THE POLL

CBS/NYT poll bites back

Let’s face it, the CBS/New York Times poll on Tea Partiers and the rest of America was meant to embarrass the Tea Party set.

The questions were loaded.

But some of the answers backfired.

Q. 49. Do you think Barack Obama’s policies are moving the country more toward socialism, or are his policies not moving the country in that direction?

92% of the Tea Partiers said yes he is pushing us to socialism.

Hardy-har-har-har.

So did 52% if the rest of America. Only 38% said no.

Oh.

Q. 20. Some people say the country needs a third political party — a new party to compete with the Democratic and Republican parties. Do you agree or disagree?

40% of the Tea Partiers said yes to a third party.

Hardy-har-har.

46% of the rest of America said yes to a third party.

Oh.

Q. 50. Do you think Barack Obama was born in the United States, or do you think he was born in another country?

30% of the Tea Partiers said another country.

Hardy-har.

20% of the rest of the country said another country.

Oh.

Q. 60. Should legal immigration into the United States be kept at its present level, increased, or decreased?

42% of the Tea Partiers said decreased.

Har.

41% of the rest of the country said decreased.

Oh.

Q. 71. In general, who do you think has a better chance of getting ahead in today’s society — white people, black people, or do white people and black people have about an equal chance of getting ahead?

7% of the Tea Partiers said black people.

4% of the rest of the country said black people.

Q. 74. Do you think it is ever justified for citizens to take violent action against the government, or is it never justified?

24% of the Tea Partiers said justified.

16% of the rest of the country said justified.

Of course, there were other questions that showed differences in opinions. But this poll was aimed at showing those wacky Tea Partiers hate Obama and hate the country. The whole poll is here.

But I don’t recall and exhaustive poll comparing anti-war protesters to the rest of the country on such issues as George Bush’s honorable discharge or whether they thought 9/11 was a put up job.

This was not a news poll. It was a push poll designed to forward the administration’s narrative that the Tea Partiers are outlier — violent racists — who are out of touch with reality. The backfiring of some of these questions won’t be reported on CBS News or in the New York Times.

http://bit.ly/9gMWkv

Hi Dixie,
Also, I don't think this has received much attention from our side, but buried in this poll is the fact that 82% of tea partiers believe illegal immigration is a "very serious" problem.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010 ... tics#tab=6

Take that Dick Armey and Grover Norquist!