Karl who?
Every now and then it’s good for political junkies — or in my case, I guess, a combination junkie/pusher — to be reminded that not everyone (or even a majority of anyones) pays all that much attention to politics. A case in point involves Karl Rove.
Gallup has come out with a new poll that establishes, surprise, surprise, that Rove isn’t all that popular with the American people. This from Gallup:
The poll, conducted July 28-30, finds that 22% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Rove, while 38% have an unfavorable opinion and the rest either don’t know who Rove is, or don’t know enough about him to have an opinion. This is a continuation of the pattern observed across the five Gallup surveys that have included measurements of Rove’s image since July 2005; Americans’ ratings of Rove always have been more negative than positive. Rove’s current net favorable rating (the percentage rating him favorably minus the percentage rating him unfavorably) is -16, which is more positive than the -28 net rating in April and is roughly the same as in two polls in October 2005.
All of the findings are interesting, certainly, but what’s most striking to me is the percentage of respondents who have no opinion: According to the poll, about 40% of Americans “either don’t know who Rove is, or don’t know enough about him to have an opinion.” Wow.
Now, if we were talking about just any old presidential assistant or cabinet member even, this wouldn’t be surprising. But Karl Rove? He is unquestionably one of the most widely discussed political figures of our time.
How could anyone even occasionally watch a television news program, read a paper or even tune into the late night talk shows, without knowing a bundle about Karl Rove?
While perhaps not a new observation, this still represents a level of public disinterest in the workings of democracy that is nothing short of staggering. And when you remember that it’s these very people who ultimately decide who governs this nation, well, it can almost make you cry.
August 28th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Alcohol: The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”
August 29th, 2006 at 12:35 am
Have you ever watched “Jay Walking” on Leno? It is amusing, until you stop to think how rampant and widespread ignorance is in this country. Most people think that: 1. “I am too busy to pay attention to what the government is doing.” 2. “It doesnt entertain me enough to pay attention to what the government is doing.” 3. ” I live in LaLa Land and want to stay there forever.” 4. “There isnt any money in it for me to pay attention to what the government is doing.” 5. “It is too difficult for me to THINK. That takes effort. So, I ignore what the government is doing.” 6. “I don’t care what the government is doing, because I always vote Republican, my Grandaddy voted Republican, and By God, I dont need to know anymore about it than that!” 7. “The Republicans are socially prominent, dress well, live in McMansions, and drive SUV’s. I dont need to know anymore about it than that.” 8. “Whoever is a friend of George W. Bush, is a friend of mine. I dont need to know anymore about it than that.”
9. “If Karl Rove is in the Bush Administration, he must be an Evangelical Christian, and I dont need to know anymore about it than that.” 10. “Anybody who hates the sicko, Communist, immoral, unpatriotic, bleeding-heart, yellow-bellied, left-wing,godless, spend, spend, spend, ‘liberal is a dirty word’, Democrats will get my support. I trust Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter for all opinions and I dont need to know anymore about it than that.”
Thus, it becomes apparent that Karl Rove can run the show in the shadows, do as many dirty tricks as he wishes, and few will care enough to find out who he is or how much mayhem he has caused. He is well beloved by his evil twin, though better-known, Dick Cheney. They pull the strings, and the puppet swings. All of the above mindless morons will have to feel the pain personally before they acknowledge the error of their ways, if and when they ever do.
August 29th, 2006 at 3:16 am
If a nation expects to be both ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be. - Thomas Jefferson
August 29th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Great quote!
August 29th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Darn! Happened again! I’ve ben out-cynicallyed (is that a word?) again. This time by Larkrise . (cynicalled?)
August 29th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
Dear Chuck, I think you made that one up.
Being cynical comes with being a Democrat in Indiana. It is a survival strategy.
August 30th, 2006 at 12:19 am
“No matter how cynical you get, you can never keep up.” Lilly Tomlin
August 30th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Larkrise: I’ll try to remember Lilly Tomlin’s message. (cynicalliezed?) Here in the Puget Sound area it’s hard to be more than dissapointed. (Though I guess we can all become cynicallized in time.)