On Friday, February 14, 2003, at 10:58  AM, Wirt Atmar wrote:

> Tom writes:
>
>> The validity of on-line polls using self-selected
>>  responders:
>>  0%
>
> Ordinarily, I'd agree, but when you have 600,000 of anyone respond to
> a poll,
> you have to take it a great deal more seriously.
>
> However, that said, I'm surprised that the percentage of US
> respondents who
> agreed with the idea that the US was the "champion of freedom" was as
> low as
> 50%. Every population obviously has its own intrinsic characteristics.
> From
> reading the comments on the AOL chat rooms, on this and many other
> subjects
> over the years, I believe it's fair to say that the average AOL
> respondent
> tends to be younger rather than older, not particularly literate,
> poorly
> educated, conservative, and socially immature. This is an audience
> that would
> seem to be particularly susceptible to the propaganda being promoted
> by the
> current administration, but apparently at least half aren't buying it.
>
> Wirt Atmar

Interesting that you should bring up demographic issues. Whenever I see
the results of almost any poll, I've always wished that the pollsters
would extend their report to display breakdowns by age, sex or
whatever.  I suspect that seniors, many of whom have been in wars
and/or have relatives and friends who have, would be a lot less
supportive of GWB. They remember the Viet Nam fiasco which, in addition
to its monetary expense, cost the lives of millions of Vietnamese and
58K of Americans as well as injuries of 120K Americans. The negative
impact on their relatives, especially the wives and children was
horrendous. Many of the young people who participate in such polls,
have little knowledge of such disastrous wars.

FW

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