Terrorism fears no longer helping Bush, study finds

[DaveSZ]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-fear12.html


Terrorism fears no longer helping Bush, study finds

August 12, 2004

BY DEBRA PICKETT Staff Reporter Advertisement


A new study reveals a surprising twist on the conventional wisdom about November's presidential election: While political pundits seem to agree that news of terrorist threats and other dangers from abroad is good news for President Bush's re-election bid, the opposite might be true.

Michigan State University political science professors Darren W. Davis and Brian D. Silver say their study found that the more worried people are about the possibility of another terrorist attack, the more likely they are to vote for John Kerry. The research will be presented at a meeting of political scientists in Chicago next month.

The professors have been tracking Americans' attitudes about politics, civil liberties and security in a series of national and Michigan-wide surveys since 2001.

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, they found that people who expressed greater concern about threats of future terrorism were more likely to approve of Bush's presidential performance, while those who were less worried were less likely to support the president.

-more

[Cha]

1. Oh, darn...bush isn't scaring the

shyte outta People anymore with his tales of doom & gloom.

[DaveSZ]

2. I'm surprised too

:)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. If you look at the places where people are probably most justified

in fearing attack, they are all Kerry Country.

[Cha]

8. Exactly! And what does that tell us? That the People

trust Kerry on National Security! Are you reading, condi?

[olddem43]

4. Damn! - The bad news for Bushco just keeps on coming.

If it gets any worse, what'll we do? When is the tipping point for the landslide?

[Cha]

9. What will they do? is the burning question...you know

they won't go gently into that night.

[hippiegranny]

18. and that is what is the most scary...

I am much more afraid of the Bushco goons, desperately trying to cling to power, than I am of any old terra-ist.

[mom cat]

5. and also from the story:

But by spring 2004, "this relationship had reversed: Those who were more concerned about terrorism were less likely to approve of Bush's performance," the professors say in their report.

And, the professors say, that trend is influencing how people plan to vote in the November election.

The two researchers' most recent survey, conducted in Michigan from April 19 to June 15, indicates that 24 percent of respondents -- a sampling of Michigan residents statistically weighted to reflect the adult U.S. population -- were "very concerned" about the possibility of another terrorist attack and 44 percent were "somewhat concerned."

When respondents were asked how they planned to vote in the November election, a narrow majority -- 51 percent -- said they would vote for Bush.

Davis and Silver then examined the respondents' voting preferences and how they related to the respondents' levels of concern about terrorism. Of those who were "very concerned," 38 percent said they planned to vote to re-elect President Bush, while 76 percent of those who were "not at all concerned" said they would vote for Bush.

[aquart]

6. The REAL conventional wisdom is in the fairy tales and fables.

This little boy cried Wolf! too damn often.

[Ducks In A Row]

7. universal health care would do it

luckily bush is too stupid and greedy to realize it.

[Padraig18]

10. Kerry sealed the deal in Boston.

People believe he'll do a better job of keeping them safe.

[union_maid]

11. Well, gee....

what's he got left, then?

[dbt]

13. Scorched Earth.

When it becomes apparent to his handlers that bu$h is going to lose BIG TIME, watch for the economy to collapse with the Regime not lifting a finger (except for the middle one) to stop it.

Or perhaps they will simply allow another 9/11-style attack to happen.

The nation will be punished for turning from the True Path.

:freak:
dbt

[DeepModem Mom]

12. kick

[buycitgo]

14. did you see this?

F.B.I. Goes Knocking for Political Troublemakers


F.B.I. agents and Denver police officers visited Sarah Bardwell, right, and a housemate, Sarah Graves, and two neighbors, Christopher Riederer, second from right, and Blake, who would not give his last name, at their homes to ask them about political and antiwar protest activities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/politics/campaign/16fbi.html?pagewanted=1

[Hoping4Change]

15. This unbelievable. This definiteey deserves a separate thread.

"People are going to be afraid to go to a demonstration or even sign a petition if they justifiably believe that will result in your having an F.B.I. file opened on you."


snip


In the case of the three young men subpoenaed in Missouri, Denise Lieberman, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union in St. Louis, which is representing them, said they scrapped plans to attend both the Boston and the New York conventions after they were questioned about possible violence.




The three men "were really shaken and frightened by all this," she said, "and they got the message loud and clear that if you make plans to go to a protest, you could be subject to arrest or a visit from the F.B.I."

[carnie_sf]

17. Like COINTELPRO

in the sixties. Many, many people had fbi files opened on them in the Nixon years. That didn't stop them though. Some, like Luc Levasseur are still in prison. As some notable leader said, to make an omelet you must break some eggs.

[Hoping4Change]

20. True but not everyone is prepared for being strong armed by

the gov't. BTW welcome to DU.:hi:

[Beetwasher]

16. You Can Only Scare People For So Long Before They Start To Become

angry about it...People just "get it" after a while...

[LiberalPersona]

19. Uh oh...

Has Bush issued one terror alert too many?
I'd say more than one.

The terrorism is the single thing Bush had to stand on, and now even that is gone.
What a pretzelhead.