When there's a public issue, the Gallup poll is traditionally on the case.
Well, giddy-up.
The Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll, conducted by phone Sept. 5-6, show that people believe the following on the Aug. 29 hurriflood. Questions in bold are how they were asked to the population:
Do you think that any of the top officials in the federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired, or don't you think so?
29% Yes
63% No
Thinking about natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or fires, do you consider Hurricane Katrina to be the worst natural disaster in the U.S. in your lifetime, or not?
93% Yes
7% No (I had my eyes closed)
Do you think New Orleans should — or should not — be rebuilt as a major city?
63% Yes, should
34% No, should not
Now for the million yuan question, presumably asked to nobody from Blogcritics:
Who do you think is MOST responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane?
13% President Bush
18% Federal agencies (FEMA, DHS)
25% State and local government
38% Nobody
It should be noted that the following were not options in Gallup's poll on who to blame:
- AFP photographers
- The Saints
- Blunderford
- The inner child within us
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Z.Z. Bachman
Oh but you will still get a combative argument here on this information. Just wait a few minutes...
2 - Gary
Considering the people directly affected are either dead, hospitalized, and/or without homes/power/phone service these results should not come as a big shock.
3 - John Bambenek
What shouldn't be a big shock is the fact the local democrats really screwed this one up...
4 - RJ
It's a NATIONAL poll, Gary. So the opinions of residents of New Orleans would neccesarily be watered-down (pardon the pun...) by the opinions of the rest of the country's residents.
5 - Gary
Sorry- I didn't realize that the hurricane focused itself like a death ray only affecting New Orleans and leaving the rest of the gulf coast unscathed.
Thanks for the lesson.
And the tastefully witty pun. ROTFL.
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
The hurricane only affected New Orleans?
...then where are all these reporters and donations coming from?
... and why is this page so long?
7 - RJ
Okay...
The percentage of the US population without homes/power/phone/etc. is still a tiny percentage of the total US population.
So, their current inability to answer questions from Gallup has little effect on the accuracy of a NATIONAL poll...
8 - Gary
Wow you're right! The hurricane didn't just hit New Orleans! A large part of the southern U.S. was affected. Seems that i'm in the middle of some kind of tug of war with a couple of right wing geniuses here. Thanks for putting me back on track Matt! And RJ- you really had me going there for a second.
9 - Matthew T. Sussman
Break out the Webster's, we need to make some additional definitions:
Right-wing adj. 1. Very conservative. 2. Anybody who tries to explain something to Gary.
So is the poll is rendered useless because most of New Orleans is without phone?
Let's say 1 million people were still without phones or couldn't return to their homes. With almost 300 million poeple in the U.S., that's 1/3 of a percent of the national population, adding that much additional margin of error added because "they couldn't come to the phone right now."
Now Gary, I'm wondering why you're arguing the results of a scientific poll. If you're in the minority, it's OK. Just don't stomp your feet if more people disagree with you. Especially don't cry partisanship. I don't play that game.
I have lots of ideas which I just don't share because I know I'm in the sheer minority.
10 - Gary
Break out the Webster's
poeple (?) 1.no listing
Break out the caveman to English phrasebook:
"New Orleans is without phone?"
"I have lots of ideas which I just don't share because I know I'm in the sheer minority."
Someday when you're not scared of being teased by this mysterious majority you speak of maybe you can enlighten us all with your top secret important ideas. I had no idea you were holding back. Now I understand.
11 - Matthew T. Sussman
That made absolutely no sense.
Intelligent discourse weeps.
12 - Bob A. Booey
Sussman, I thought you were sticking to humor and sports? :)
That is all.
13 - Dave Nalle
I'd love to see a poll of the actual refugees. Based on the interviews on the news here in Texas most of them think they went to heaven when New Orleans was destroyed. They've got $2000 debit cards in their pockets and are out of the hellhole they used to live in and in states like Texas where there are good jobs and cheap housing waiting for them.
Dave
14 - Matthew T. Sussman
I have a 45 minute drive to work every day. I have a lot of time to think.
And, with all that spare time, the word "Blamegamegate" was born.
Had to be done. Made me laugh.
Errm... how 'bout them Astros?
15 - Gary
Awesome! You came up with that all by yourself? WOW!
16 - Matthew T. Sussman
Coulda been worse. If my daily trip meant walking down to my parents basement, I would have only conjured up "National polls are all broke when Cajun states fill up with water."
(Rimshot)
17 - Gary
If you keep debating me I think I will call this Matthew T. Sussmangate. Don't use it without my permission either because it will be trademarked.
18 - Matthew T. Sussman
I've always wanted my own Gate.
Perhaps I could live in a gated community and keep Gallup pollsters out, putting a large dent in their upcoming "Do you believe Sussman has too much body hair?" survey!
19 - Bob A. Booey
I think Barbara Bush might have found an out-of-touch, similarly elitist soulmate in Dave Nalle:
"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."
That is all.
20 - RJ
Well, in the long run, she's probably right.
Of course, it's not politically-correct to actually SAY such a thing...
21 - Matthew T. Sussman
Well it will work out for them in Texas, provided their phone service blocks those damn right-wingers from Zogby.
"The horse is still twitching, so I can hit it, right?"
22 - Gary
That does it! This is now officially MATTHEW T. SUSSMANGATEtm!!!!!!!!!!
note-Matthew T. Sussmangate is an exclusive registered trademark of GARYtm and not to be used without expressed permission from GARYtm which is also an exclusive registered trademark of GARYtm.
23 - Gary
Hey guys- I was just on the toilet and doing some heavy thinking. You know with all of that flooding and hurricane stuff in New Orleans I think we should call this crisis WATERGATE. It has a nice ring to it.
24 - Dave Nalle
>>I think Barbara Bush might have found an out-of-touch, similarly elitist soulmate in Dave <<
Babs, I'm not sure it's 'out of touch' to think that poor people might be happy to have money in their pockets and an opportunity for a better life, but I guess that my understanding of human nature is screwed up. Poverty and a shack in a flood plain are WAY better than money and a job, right?
Dave
25 - RJ
Wow, that's very original...