In the wake of Climategate, a new Washington Post poll shows a collapse in the credibility of mainstream scientists on the subject of global warming.
[F]our in 10 Americans now saying that they place little or no trust in what scientists have to say about the environment. That's up significantly in recent years. About 58 percent of Republicans now put little or no faith in scientists on the subject, double the number saying so in April 2007. Over this time frame, distrust among independents bumped up from 24 to 40 percent, while Democrats changed only marginally. Among seniors, the number of skeptics more than doubled, to 51 percent….
[M]ore than six in 10 Americans see a lot of disagreement among scientists on the issue of global warming. That's the view of nearly eight in 10 Republicans and about two-thirds of independents. A smaller majority of Democrats, 55 percent, see general agreement among the scientific community.
But the recent poll number that is really interesting is the one reported below: the most popular political movement in America right now is the tea party movement. If it were a political party, it would be more popular than both the Democrats and the Republicans.
Of course, the tea party movement is not a political party, and that gives it an advantage: the tea party movement is not yet associated with specific legislation or a specific political leader or, worst of all, the particular compromises that political parties make once they get into power.
But still, isn't it something that one year after Barack Obama was elected with a Democratic majority, the most popular political movement in the country is a grass-roots rebellion against big government?
"Poll: Obama Approval Dips Below 50 Percent," Mark Murray, NBC News via MSNBC, December 16
"This survey underscores what I consider a dramatic and unmistakable change in the political landscape," said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the survey with GOP pollster Bill McInturff. "For Democrats, the red flags are flying at full mast." In addition to Obama's job approval rating at 47 percent, fewer than four in 10 say they are confident he has the right set of goals and policies, which is down 15 points since his election….
The entire Republican Party, moreover, continues to maintain a net-negative favorable/unfavorable rating, 28 percent to 43 percent. But, for the first time in more than two years, the Democratic Party also now holds a net-negative rating, 35 percent to 45 percent.
By comparison, the conservative libertarian-leaning Tea Party movement has a net-positive 41 percent to 23 percent score in the poll….
As for health care, the poll…finds that those believing Obama's health-reform plan is a good idea has sunk to its lowest level. Just 32 percent say it's a good idea, versus 47 percent who say it's a bad idea.
In addition, for the first time in the survey, a plurality prefers the status quo to reform. By a 44 percent to 41 percent margin, respondents say that it would be better to keep the current system than to pass Obama's health plan….
"This is the survey where the wheels came off the bus" on health care, McInturff said.
[F]our in 10 Americans now saying that they place little or no trust in what scientists have to say about the environment. That's up significantly in recent years. About 58 percent of Republicans now put little or no faith in scientists on the subject, double the number saying so in April 2007. Over this time frame, distrust among independents bumped up from 24 to 40 percent, while Democrats changed only marginally. Among seniors, the number of skeptics more than doubled, to 51 percent….
[M]ore than six in 10 Americans see a lot of disagreement among scientists on the issue of global warming. That's the view of nearly eight in 10 Republicans and about two-thirds of independents. A smaller majority of Democrats, 55 percent, see general agreement among the scientific community.
But the recent poll number that is really interesting is the one reported below: the most popular political movement in America right now is the tea party movement. If it were a political party, it would be more popular than both the Democrats and the Republicans.
Of course, the tea party movement is not a political party, and that gives it an advantage: the tea party movement is not yet associated with specific legislation or a specific political leader or, worst of all, the particular compromises that political parties make once they get into power.
But still, isn't it something that one year after Barack Obama was elected with a Democratic majority, the most popular political movement in the country is a grass-roots rebellion against big government?
"Poll: Obama Approval Dips Below 50 Percent," Mark Murray, NBC News via MSNBC, December 16
"This survey underscores what I consider a dramatic and unmistakable change in the political landscape," said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the survey with GOP pollster Bill McInturff. "For Democrats, the red flags are flying at full mast." In addition to Obama's job approval rating at 47 percent, fewer than four in 10 say they are confident he has the right set of goals and policies, which is down 15 points since his election….
The entire Republican Party, moreover, continues to maintain a net-negative favorable/unfavorable rating, 28 percent to 43 percent. But, for the first time in more than two years, the Democratic Party also now holds a net-negative rating, 35 percent to 45 percent.
By comparison, the conservative libertarian-leaning Tea Party movement has a net-positive 41 percent to 23 percent score in the poll….
As for health care, the poll…finds that those believing Obama's health-reform plan is a good idea has sunk to its lowest level. Just 32 percent say it's a good idea, versus 47 percent who say it's a bad idea.
In addition, for the first time in the survey, a plurality prefers the status quo to reform. By a 44 percent to 41 percent margin, respondents say that it would be better to keep the current system than to pass Obama's health plan….
"This is the survey where the wheels came off the bus" on health care, McInturff said.
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