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Poll: Blagojevich less ethical than most, Obama not involved, 79 percent say toss RRB in jail

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Illinois
Polls
Obama

* A strong majority of Illinoisans appears to understand that, while we may be a corrupt state, Blagojevich is a special case. From a Rasmussen Reports poll taken last week…

Is Rod Blagojevich more ethical, less ethical, or about as ethical as most politicians?

4% More ethical
59% Less ethical
31% About as ethical
7% Not sure

* And 69 percent believe that Obama kept his distance…

How likely is it that President-elect Obama was involved in the Blagojevich corruption case?

13% Very likely
13% Somewhat likely
37% Not very likely
32% Not at all likely
6% Not sure

From the narrative…

Among Republicans, 20% say it is Very Likely Obama was involved in the corruption case, and another 26% say it is Somewhat Likely. Only seven percent (7%) of Democratic voters think it is Very Likely, with four percent (4%) saying it is Somewhat Likely.

Fifteen percent (15%) of unaffiliated voters rate Obama’s involvement as Very Likely, while 14% say Somewhat Likely.

* Not quite sure what to make of the split on this one, but it appears that people are still trying to wrap their heads around the events…

Were Blagojevich’s attempts to get large campaign contributions in exchange for political favors pretty typical of how most politicians operate?

39% Yes
35% No
26% Not sure

* And this is my favorite result from the poll…

Should Blagojevich go to jail for his actions?

79% Yes
8% No
13% Not sure

No need to clarify that result. Oof.

* From last week: New poll says 84 percent want guv to resign *** 73 percent want him impeached ***

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:18 am

Comments

Not to sound tin foily hatish, but I would bet M Mad has a draft document for impeachment rerady to go, based on the conduct decribed in the infamous memo. While they can add in some of the new conduct, they should be able to get somthing drafted, circulated and done this week to impeach. They can alswya stop the impeachment process as moot if in the intermi the Supreme Court removes the Gov. But this way we would have the impeachment process under way in case the Supreme’s do not take the case or rule in Blago’s favor.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:23 am
The Republican split is not that hard to understand. They never believed that PE Obama was a different politician, so their opinion is that he would do what a ‘regular’ politician would do.

Their skepticism is further stoked by the fact that nearly a week after the scandal broke, the promised fuller disclosures have not yet come out and two of his advisors are MIA.

The chances of any quid pro quo on the PE’s part are slim to none. That is what advisors are for. Isn’t that is how the city of Chicago has worked for decades?

Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:29 am
I tend to agree with the majority of those polled.

I would also like to ask “when do you think the governor will leave office?”
-today? - this week? - late January? - or many months from now?

Comment by Shelbyville Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:30 am
From first-hand observation the fact is the corruption and greed is actually much worse than the polling suggests.

People like Patrick Fitzgerald, and instances like this one — that my result with an honest man like Pat Quinn become Governor — are this state’s only hope.

Reform will not come from the legislature or from a smarter electorate while the “Combine” draws a breath.

Comment by RBergman Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:39 am
Pluto -

I hear ya buddy…But Obama has made a few amateur political screwups in the past. His association with Rezko, Wright, and Ayers come to mind.

Most of the invulnerability myth of Obama has come from the media, because they have chosen not to make issues out of things that could be issues.

I don’t think he is cut from the same stone as Daley. Obama’s rise to power has come way too quickly to learn the disciplined ways of machine pol. Heck, even JJJ, from one of the most politically influential families in Illinois has screwed up big time here.

But we shall see.

Comment by Quotient Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:46 am
I would like to add my vote that the Governor should go to jail for his deeds. When will we hear about the other federal investigations that have dogged this administration for the last 4 years? Remember the Governor stopped doing FOIA’s two years ago that were in reference to the federal investigations.

Comment by this voter will remember Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 8:57 am
“amateur political screwups” ???? Obama is a professional politician with same links to the Chicago and state political machine. I don’t buy naivete as an excuse for his screwups. God help the nation if he gets a pass based on “amateur” status. He better learn how to come clean on questions when they are put to him and not have his first answers later redacted or say that staff people have misspoken.

Comment by Captain Flume Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 9:03 am
The public’s in a hanging mood, and it’s not just Rod and not just here. For a few years now, there’s been so much scandal and incompetence in so many institutions — government, business, religion — that many want to lash out.

Memo to those promising change: You better deliver.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 9:28 am
So Obama technically doesn’t have his hands dirty, right? No legal problems right? Sure - I can agree with that, but that doesn’t mean he comes off well.

He sits there like Sgt. Schultz! “That’s not the [insert name here] I knew!”

He is the president, and ran as a reformer. As we are discovering very plainly, if he is a virgin, he is also a blind amoral one to boot. How could he not know about the corruption around him for the past 15 years? How could he not have heard about the dealmakings, the fund raisings, and the daily rip-offs conducted around him?

He was a state senator for years. He was a working US senator for a week or two, but had the office for three years. We cannot let him off the hook so easily.

The polls continue to show a public willing to cut Obama slack when this scandal is only a week old - thats fine. But don’t think that as we roll over more of the rocks, we don’t begin to see our new president in a new and less charitable light.

The first rough patch of unethical behavior uncovered in the executive branch during the Obama administration will force voters to see patterns even when there are none there.

His hands are not dirty, but they are not clean.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 9:42 am
VM, lets look at the mudd dripping from the hands of the IL GOP who climbed in bed with the ov and ran aropund the state supporting the Gov and the Gov’s capital plan. if the IL GOP had its way, our most corrupt Govenor could have done some really heinous things.

By contrast Obama has clean hands.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 10:41 am
So should the Governor “go to jail for his actions?” because 79% of a poll say he should?

So should he not under suspicion because only 13% of a poll say it is likely that “President-elect Obama was involved in the Blagojevich corruption case?”

We can have an opinion certainly, but the promotion and publicizing of poll results implies a jury and judgment by public opinion, in these cases based on allegations, not on verdicts.

The public opinion poll is just more speculative journalism that, in my own unpolled opinion, makes for cheap headlines but adds very little to informed discourse.

Comment by Captain Flume Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 11:26 am
Sorry, but we are in it really deep if we think Obama’s hands are clean. Our president-elect can’t walk on water but some of you guys think he can walk across mud without getting the soles of his feet dirty.

I don’t.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 4:02 pm
VM,
You say things perfectly! Thank You

Comment by Boscobud Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 4:42 pm
Blago said his would be the most ethical administration ever to set foot in the capitol. Is the loophole that he never set foot in the capitol?

Comment by starthrower68 Monday, Dec 15, 08 @ 11:42 pm