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Smarmie Doofus

(14,498 posts) Sun Nov 8, 2015, 04:17 PM Nov 2015

How many American adults can correctly identify 'Daniel Ellsberg'? [View all]

Help me research this.

I've been a little shocked ( I'm 61; I don't shock easily) at recently discovering several ( 3, to be specific; all younger... but not MUCH younger.... than me) friends ( and these are "political" people; not a random sample) who didn't know who Ellsberg was when I mentioned his name.

It occurs to me: if they don't know who Ellsberg is/was...... they don't know anything about Viet Nam. Also... they can't possibly understand Watergate. Therefore they can't possibly understand Nixon, why he was impeached., etc.

There are a lot of implications to this.... needless to say.... including peoples' reactions to and appreciation of the gravity the NSA/ Snowden phenomenon, etc.

So... what's going on here? Is my sample skewed? ( I HOPE it is.)

Did the schools start brainwashing kids when Reagan was elected? ( Did the hospitals start lobotomizing them?)

I'm following up because there's something important going on here. Google hasn't been much help. Contemporary online research is not my strongest point.

What's my next move?

Again: what percentage of the American electorate can correctly identify "Daniel Ellsberg"?

95 replies

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How many American adults can correctly identify 'Daniel Ellsberg'? [View all] Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 OP

Probably a pretty low percentage. cwydro Nov 2015 #1

Spiro Agnew HassleCat Nov 2015 #4

Lol, I can't believe someone with that name was elected in that time period of our history. cwydro Nov 2015 #7

I love Spiro for a different reason virtualobserver Nov 2015 #13

Omg, how funny! Ya know, I had forgotten that! cwydro Nov 2015 #17

I remember when Nixon picked Agnew as a running mate csziggy Nov 2015 #50

But Ellsberg is first of all a heroic figure, at least to people on the "left." Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #47

Wasn't he a judge on American Idol? onehandle Nov 2015 #2

I couldn't ID Ellsberg HassleCat Nov 2015 #3

Parts of the story are NOT convoluted: Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #51

For the longest time, I only thought of Ellsberg Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #92

Forbidden Knowledge. Octafish Nov 2015 #5

Agree in full ( more or less) but what's this: Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #52

John M. Newman found a gap in Pentagon Papers... Octafish Nov 2015 #64

I can, but I'm old, too. nt valerief Nov 2015 #6

I also can, but I'm also old. nt Nay Nov 2015 #35

too low tishaLA Nov 2015 #8

This issue scares me more: Hepburn Nov 2015 #9

So very true. cwydro Nov 2015 #14

I can top that--how many members of CONGRESS can accurately cite the constitutional hlthe2b Nov 2015 #23

Heck, we see it on DU. Chiding the president for not doing something via Executive Order.. X_Digger Nov 2015 #25

Absolutely know who he is. Hepburn Nov 2015 #10

RWers have been airbrushing textbooks in Texas for decades. 99th_Monkey Nov 2015 #11

Conservatives in America are a lot more organized than liberals Fumesucker Nov 2015 #19

True dat. I wish that Will Rogers quote was not do damn true. 99th_Monkey Nov 2015 #21

The answer is that "so easily co-opted by neo-cons, RWers, and PufPuf23 Nov 2015 #20

I can but most of the populace (by now) would not have the faintest idea who she was. BlueJazz Nov 2015 #12

I remember who he is TexasProgresive Nov 2015 #15

You are correct. I misspoke. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #53

The other night at trivia we were asked what the T stood for in Spiro T Agnew mountain grammy Nov 2015 #16

Ellsberg did not go to prison. All charges were dismissed. PADemD Nov 2015 #38

oops, glad he didn't ask that one at trivia.. mountain grammy Nov 2015 #46

Good catch. n/t Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #54

I am 45 and I have no idea who he is Marrah_G Nov 2015 #18

Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers and PufPuf23 Nov 2015 #22

thanks Marrah_G Nov 2015 #29

Now see, I would have Googled before admitting that. But that's me. WinkyDink Nov 2015 #40

I'm glad... in fact I appreciate the fact that Marrah did NOT google it. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #56

I can, but I'm of an age to have felt his influence w/Pentagon Papers. ebayfool Nov 2015 #24

How about the Chicago 7? LiberalArkie Nov 2015 #61

How about the Chicago 7? LiberalArkie Nov 2015 #62

Looks like we all need to brush up on history yeoman6987 Nov 2015 #26

Ahem. Not "all." WinkyDink Nov 2015 #41

Ok. You are right. Very true not all. yeoman6987 Nov 2015 #49

OK. Point. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #57

I can. Blue_In_AK Nov 2015 #27

My Dad was a politics/news fanatic, wendylaroux Nov 2015 #28

Ellsberg was on my radar when my drug addled buddy burgled his Mill Valley home in 1972... Brother Buzz Nov 2015 #30

I couldn't pick him out of a lineup if that's what you mean tularetom Nov 2015 #31

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #32

I'm a "political history nerd" also. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #71

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #72

Yeah, I agree with your take cemaphonic Nov 2015 #93

I only know a little about him because I hang out here Hydra Nov 2015 #33

The left in general should make more of an issue of.... Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #65

A lot of it has to do with the fact that most kids do not get much education in recent/current madinmaryland Nov 2015 #34

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #37

I personally think that all kids should be required to take a recent history course that madinmaryland Nov 2015 #42

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #43

Iraq IS Viet Nam. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #82

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #90

A name I know very well indeed. hifiguy Nov 2015 #36

Everyone on Medicare. ;-) (AKA, Baby Boomers) WinkyDink Nov 2015 #39

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #44

I have it and vaguely recall how it sounds, does that count? davekriss Nov 2015 #58

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #59

Bwah! Are you talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation?! WinkyDink Nov 2015 #67

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #68

I didn't know who he was until reading this thread. forsaken mortal Nov 2015 #45

Which is why sites like DU are important davekriss Nov 2015 #60

I think you're really overestimating the country's attention span Recursion Nov 2015 #48

The manufactured ignorance in America is legion davekriss Nov 2015 #55

Mort Sahl MinM Nov 2015 #63

Hell, I even remember Daniel Berrigan.... panader0 Nov 2015 #66

I didn't know who he was, but I was aware of the Pentagon Papers ProudToBeBlueInRhody Nov 2015 #69

I hear you. H2O Man Nov 2015 #70

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #73

Very interesting. H2O Man Nov 2015 #75

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #76

A local grocery store's H2O Man Nov 2015 #78

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Nov 2015 #80

You said it TransitJohn Nov 2015 #95

Never heard of Ellsburg until I read your post. Bottoms_Up Nov 2015 #74

My brother was a Captain in the Army at Fort Ord upaloopa Nov 2015 #77

I bet many Americans in the 1970s didn't know who Ellsberg was, let alone today. merrily Nov 2015 #79

I'm not really talking about apolitical people. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #83

Have they heard of Snowden and Drake? merrily Nov 2015 #84

I'm sure none of the three would know Drake. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #85

I'm going back to I don't find it odd they don't know Ellsberg merrily Nov 2015 #86

He's a *pivotal* figure in modern US history. Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #87

I don't think Ellsberg brought down a President. Nixon's insanity and personality and dishonesty merrily Nov 2015 #89

Meanwhile, look what you made me learn today. merrily Nov 2015 #91

Kissinger on Ellsberg Octafish Nov 2015 #81

!!!!!!!!!!!! H2O Man Nov 2015 #88

That's mid-20th Century history TransitJohn Nov 2015 #94