[Rhodes22-list] Politics: A View From The Ground & polls

[Steve]

Robert
I have temper my belief in Liberal TV:-)
Steve


--- Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:

> Steve wrote:
> > The lastest polls I saw confirmed that the vast
> > miltary (all branches) supports Bush and that the
> war
> > is going quite well despite how the media is
> reporting
> > it.
> > Steve
> --------------------------------------------------
> 
> Steve, 
> 
> I have to temper my belief in such polls for a 
> number of reasons:
> 
> 1.  As stated by someone else, the troops are 
> generally discouraged from making political 
> statements -- specially those counter to the 
> positions held by the commander in chief.
> 
> 2.  While a lot of the military is in Iraq, it 
> is far from the majority, and many have never 
> seen combat, specially those not in the infantry 
> or Marine Corps.  Flying bullets and hostile 
> faces can affect your enthusiasm.
> 
> 3.  Given the difficulty and danger of travel on 
> the ground in Iraq, I have to suspect that many 
> polls are conducted in hotel rooms with small 
> samples.  Also, issuing adverse reports is a sure 
> way to jeopardize your security cover if you are 
> able to get to the field.
> 
> 4.  Private communications from family members 
> and children of friends are almost universally 
> negative, which casts doubt on the positive 
> reports from government sources.
> 
> I wish we were doing better, but don't see a lot
> of evidence to support such a hope.
> 
> /Bob Skinner
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