MSNBC viewers get it

This just in. Results of MSNBC online poll asking whether Congress should cancel its vacation during August to act on the 9/11 commission report:

87% say yes.

The politicians may not know it, but MSNBC viewers do: We are at war.

Comments

[Mick]

You should also check out the poll at NAACP.org, "Is Bush disrespecting the black community by continually refusing to speak at the NAACP convention?"

No - 55%
Yes - 43%

http://www.naacp.org/polls/

[Oscar]

On the NAACP thing: given how left leaning that group is, I am surprised the vote is as low as 55%. Bill Cosby must not be alone in his thinking....

[Half Canadian]

If the NAACP numbers are that close, there's a lot of hope for the black community (Given the NAACP's knee-jerk attitude towards the Republican Party).
However, these polls CANNOT be considered reliable given that the respondents are self-selected. In that vein, most internet polls are junk.

[Andrew]

Except it's not a "vacation". The job of a Member of Congress is to serve his district, and part of that requires spending time in the district meeting your constituents, and in an election year, campaigning. Especially for elected Representatives on the Left Coast, it's very difficult to do that except during the long recesses in August, the winter recess, and over Easter break. Add in the need to participate in your campaign for re-election, and you can see why it's wildly unrealistic to call it an August "vacation". You can still argue that Members of Congress should shorten the recess so they can vote on more bills and issues, but not all important Congressional work happens in Washington.

[Klatoo2]

Let us consider some of the top issues on which Americans might cast votes or chose party preference: Low taxes, pro-gun rights, pro school vouchers, tough on law breakers, pro-life, anti gay marriage and pro defense. These are largely the positions that Republicans hold. Am I to believe that the 90% of Blacks who routinely vote Democratic do not share any or some of the Republican positions? Am I to believe that Blacks are of a single view on these issues? Am I to believe that there are not a significant number of Blacks who are single-issue voters and who are passionate about one of the Republicans’ positions? If I am correct, there is a serious political pathology that is afflicting Blacks.

[Sissy Willis]

Good points, Andrew, but we're talking about polls and popular perceptions here. Reality on the ground need not apply.

[lbillman]

What a great blog. The cat is kind of cute too.