Careful. For one thing, the Zogby poll shows a slim majority, within their margin of error. For another, impeachment takes 2/3 of the Senate, and the kind of support from the grass roots needed for that just isn't there.
And because this is a Zogby poll, it behooves us to find out what the exact question was:
"If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment."
Most Americans (again, slim majority) believe that the president only authorized wiretaps against terrorists, not "American citizens". I grant that American citizens can be terrorists, but that's not how the question was phrased.
(And, of course, the odds of the president being impeached by the current membership of the House are slim to none. Yet another reason for targeting vulnerable Republican legislators in the coming election.)
Had I been asked this question, I would have answered that I agree. I believe Congress *should* consider holding him accountable through impeachment, and then, having considered such an action, should reject it.
The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.9%. The spread between yes and no on the question is 9 points (52% to 43%). That's well beyond the margin of error.
The bracket outlined by the margin is that support for the question is between 49% to 55%, so it is slightly possible that support is merely a plurality rather than a majority, within the stated margin, but I think we have reasonable confidence that it's actually a majority.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 07:28 pm (UTC)And because this is a Zogby poll, it behooves us to find out what the exact question was:
Most Americans (again, slim majority) believe that the president only authorized wiretaps against terrorists, not "American citizens". I grant that American citizens can be terrorists, but that's not how the question was phrased.
(And, of course, the odds of the president being impeached by the current membership of the House are slim to none. Yet another reason for targeting vulnerable Republican legislators in the coming election.)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:13 am (UTC)I believe Congress *should* consider holding him accountable through
impeachment, and then, having considered such an action, should
reject it.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-20 04:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-20 04:18 am (UTC)The bracket outlined by the margin is that support for the question is between 49% to 55%, so it is slightly possible that support is merely a plurality rather than a majority, within the stated margin, but I think we have reasonable confidence that it's actually a majority.