Cheney: "The polls are notoriously unreliable"

[sabra]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070731-2.html


Interview of the Vice President by Larry King, CNN
Vice President Ceremonial Office
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building


<snip>

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, the way you have to operate in these jobs -- and the President, obviously, is the one who bears the greatest burden; he's the one who makes the decisions, but I clearly support him -- you have to do it on the basis of what you think is right and what's best for the country. The polls are notoriously unreliable, in the sense that they change all the time, they bounce around all over the place. That if you looked simply at public opinion, for example, a lot of the key decisions in our history would never have been pursued or followed through on. Washington never would have carried through for seven years of the Revolution. Abraham Lincoln would never have stayed with it in order to win the Civil War. We would have been two separate nations by then.

You can look at major moments in our history and be thankful that we had leaders and Presidents who made decisions, stuck with them and saw them through to the end.

...

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, every administration does, to some extent, Larry. But I think in the end, it will depend upon the results and what ultimately happens. I think history will judge us well, if we're successful in achieving the objectives we've set. I think the President has made some crucial decisions, very important decisions, very difficult decisions. But I think what we've done in Afghanistan, for example, and in Iraq, which represents liberating 50 million people from two of the worst regimes in modern times, is a very significant achievement.

I think what we've done to defend the nation successfully now for nearly six years against a further attack, because of the tough decisions we've made because of things like the Terrorist Surveillance Program and the Patriot Act, and because we've gotten aggressive with our forces overseas and prevented further attacks against the United States. Nobody six years ago would have believed that it would be possible, after 9/11, for us to go this long and not get hit again. But we have, we have succeeded at it.

...

THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't worry about the polls. You can't worry about the polls. I saw Jerry Ford, when I served with him, when I first met you, Jerry was -- President Ford was down -- it was 70 percent when he started. He ended up in the 30s. Later, 30 years later, obviously, just last year, when he passed away and we had memorial services and so forth for him, he was held in very high regard; across the country his praises were sung for some of the really tough decisions he made that were very unpopular at the time.

[napi21]

1. Oh, he drug THAT one out again huh? He and the Rover said that

before the 06 campaign too! Surprise, surprise!!!!

[BOSSHOG]

2. Oh dick, you are such a dick

If the polls "said" that you and george and your iraqi strategy was just fucking perfect by about 75% thats all the fuck tony snowjob would say 24/7.

No dick you and the rest of the republicans in Washington are what(who's) unreliable.

[DS1]

3. Speaking as the guy in Vice President Edwards's seat, he's got a point

[dkofos]

4. WOW First *ush, then Olylee, then dick, all making truthful statements on the same day.

The world will surely end tomorrow.

[trumad]

5. Ford was President for 2-3 fricking years.

The only reason he's semi respected today is because he we got W to compare him to.

[Traveling_Home]

6. He wouldn't say that if he was talking about .....

the polls for approval of Congress.

I'm sure he believes those (16% approve of Congress - less than Bush - sure I believe it)

[youngdem]

7. When you fix the results of the election, they sure are.

[Lex]

8. Actually, whatever Cheney says is notoriously unreliable.

nt

[bdamomma]

19. maybe he is saying we are unreliable.

[Cha]

9. Yeah, bushit is at 20% and you

fucking know it. nixon and you.

[Elidor]

10. Cheney's public utterances are notoriously unreliable

"We know that Saddam has nukes...Greeted as liberators...last throes, if you will, of the insurgency..."

Psychopathic scumbag.

And don't expect that worthless shit Larry King to remind him of any of those pronouncements.

[JuniperLea]

11. If Cheney says polls are unreliable...

They must be spot on!

[kimmerspixelated]

13. Exactly, which

BTW once again justifies the belief that KERRY WON in 2004!!!

[JacquesMolay]

17. Not to mention his judgment. It'd be great if his pacemaker would follow suit.

...n/t

[CJCRANE]

12. "Nobody six years ago

would have believed that it would be possible, after 9/11, for us to go this long and not get hit again".

I don't believe America would have been hit hard in the first place on 9/11 unless you allowed it to happen.

Also the previous attack was 8 years previously so a big gap between attacks isn't a surprise either. Plus "Al-Qaeda" (and the neocons) hit the jackpot on 9/11 so there was no need for a further attack.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

14. "I think the insurgency is in its last throes" (Big Dick, May 31, 2005)

[Johonny]

15. Abraham Lincoln would never have stayed with it in order to win the Civil War

Since Lincoln got re-elected based pretty much on the war and last time I checked Washington wasn't president during the war, I'd say Cheney doesn't know history to argue history. Quick who thinks Ford was a good president?

Here's a guess 50 years from now Iraq won't be much of an issue as why the Bush presidency did not make any progress on: global warming, energy consumption, human population growth, ecology, education, health care, strengthening the middle class. You know the way people talk about all those presidents before Lincoln in terms of what they did to avoid doing anything about slavery even though it was the most important issue at the time of their presidency.

[jimshoes]

16. He's right, he's really at about 9% appoval

n/t

[Critters2]

18. It's true.

The polls can say Al Gore has won, yet somehow W becomes president. We need to stop putting so much trust in those damn polls.

[WinkyDink]

20. Yeah, FUNERAL EULOGIES are REALLY reliable indicators of a President's place in history.

GMA*B.

But that's the latest Bush mantra: "If people are still discussing Washington, why, by crackie, all you haters can just KMA!"