Fellow blogger ThinkRight has a post up proclaiming Giffords isn't a moderate, but rather an extreme left-wing wactivist who wants to take away all our guns, open our borders to anyone who wants to visit, raise the taxes to 110% of income and destroy all industry so we can revert back to living in harmony with nature.
Well, he doesn't go quite that far. In making his case, however, he cites the fact she supported the resolution by Dennis Kucinich to impeach Dick Cheney last week as an example of an "extremist" position.
Polling results from just this month indicate 43% of voters feel Cheney should be impeached. A further 9% feel he has committed impeachable offenses, but should not be impeached. Let's see ... 43+9 = 52. Hey, what do you know - a majority of voters in this country think Cheney has committed impeachable offenses. For the record, that's far more than ever felt that way about Clinton, which didn't stop Republicans from, you know, actually impeaching him.
In all fairness, TR was against impeaching Clinton, so he's consistent at least.
However, this does bring up the matter of what qualifies as "extremist". I mean, when your position is actually in line with the majority view it certainly can't be labeled as "extreme", but must, at least, be labeled as "mainstream". I don't see how this can even be quibbled with, debated, or even "agree to disagree" - when your view is the majority view, labeling it "extreme" is simply ... well ... wrong.
Still, is there some metric to be applied? Without any real thought at all, it seems to me that I tend to (unconsciously) use the following metrics:
If there is a matter where one position garners more than 50% support, then any view which has less than 25% support is "extreme". Any view with less than 10% support is "fringe".
That seems pretty crude, though, and I am sure if I thought about it long enough I could come up with counter-examples from my past which disprove it. It does seem like an accurate rough guide to my thought process, though.
In the end, I may disagree with TR's views regarding Cheney impeachment, but his opinion is, by no means, extremist. After all, 48% of voters don't think Cheney should be impeached.
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9 comments:
Sirocco,
Thank you for your keen mind, analysis, and attention to these impeachment issues. FYI: There is an effort to remove Pelosi as Speaker, and make way for impeachment investigations. ( Details ) A Congressional candidate supports the effort to remove Pelosi.
Good luck with your blog, and thanks again for your energy, interest, and attention.
I didn't bring up Gabby's positions on guns or borders.
I do think is is anti-business, pro-spending & pro-tax hikes.
With the Cheney disagreement, I doubt 43% honestly think he's broken any laws & deserves impeachment. He obviously isn't popular, but (in my opinion) the poll you cited is a push poll, I'd respect a Rasmussen Reports poll to be more acurate...RR says 31% want him impeached...I don't subscribe for RR, so I don't know how it was worded...
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/general_current_events/31_want_cheney_impeached
31% isn't mainstream. The Dems agree 51% on it...that would make it mainstream for Dems, but not as Americans on a whole...
I'll point out, if you look at that same link I provided, a poll conducted in July with essentially the exact wording you prefer found 54% of all adults, and 50% of voters, favored beginning impeachment proceedings against Cheney.
Further, even in the poll you site the numbers were:
31% favor
40% oppose
29% unsure
Which certainly doesn't make the "impeach Cheney" view "extreme", although it may not qualify as "mainstream:" either. It does seem to indicate that, if you ask the undecideds to get off the fence, most of them favor impeachment rather than oppose it.
FWIW, the questions are available here. They look fair to me. It's interesting to me (and consistent in both polls) that while 34% agreed Cheney "violated his pledge to protect the Constitution" (29% felt he did not), only 31% want to impeach.
On the original point of whether or not supporting a motion to impeach Cheney is "extreme", even the Rasmussen results do more to support my view than yours (I.e., no, it's not a view "extremely" outside the realm of general public opinion.)
By the way, I am curious as to which vote you are referring to. I did see she voted YES on the motion to table ... which means she actually voted AGAINST impeachment proceedings. Was there another vote I am unaware of?
I linked it in my post that drew your ire.
Happy Thanksgiving
Heh, ire is too strong a term ...
Thanks, and I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving as well!
I'm right, you're wrong...nuff said.
What's this? ThinkRight DIDN'T bring up Giffords' positions on guns and the border... yet you attribute such statements to him?
I haven't read his blog, but so far, in the honesty department he's leading you. That was really slimy for you to do. Is that what I should expect from all Giffords supporters?
I KNOW Giffords is a twit. The general consensus is she "looks good", but relys on her handlers to tell her what to think and how to vote. I have far more respect for those I disagree with if they show they have an actual brain and think on their own. I can't stand empty heads on either side of the aisle, and so far she is showing herself to be just a pretty piece of fluff.
I called her local office twice and also emailed her - trying to get a statement on her position on a particular matter. Although it's been in the national news for almost two years, it's "just not something she's familiar with". I call BS!! ..or maybe not... because she is, after all, just a piece of fluff - she probably ISN'T aware. What a piece of work!!
Uhm ... my intro was clearly intended as humor ... note I follow it by saying "Well, he doesn't go quite that far".
You may have your opinion on Giffords, but I just disagree with it. I've known her for years, I know shes more than just "fluff".
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