Re: Another media myth exposed: 84% of Americans satisfied with their lives
- From: mg <mgkelson@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 19:56:11 -0800 (PST)
I don't see how a poll whose results haven't changed much in 27 years
can be worth very much or expected to prove anything one way or the
other.
On Jan 4, 7:08 am, "PJ O'Donovan" <Xent...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
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Media Myth Exposed: 84 Percent of Americans Happy With Lives
Photo of Noel Sheppard.
By Noel Sheppard | January 2, 2008 - 09:17 ET
If you listen to the nattering nabobs of negativity in the media and
on the left, the overwhelming majority of Americans think they're
falling behind financially, are despondent about their lives and their
futures, and are desperately looking for a change.
Yet, a new poll out from the folks at Gallup confirms what
NewsBusters, the Business & Media Institute, and parent the Media
Research Center have been saying for years: people are far happier
with themselves and their lives than press members care to report.
In fact, the difference between what people feel about their immediate
environment and what they think is going on outside of their sphere of
influence is a stunning indictment of just how skewed media's account
of the world really is.
For instance, here's the first result from Gallup that's got to
utterly depress folks in newsrooms across the fruited plain (emphasis
added throughout):
Story Continues Below Ad ↓
According to the Dec. 6-9, 2007, poll, 84% of Americans say they
are satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life at
this time, while 14% are dissatisfied. These results have been fairly
stable since Gallup first started tracking Americans' personal life
satisfaction in 1979. The percentage of Americans who say they are
satisfied with their personal life has averaged 82% over this period,
with a low of 73% in July 1979 and a high of 88% in December 2004. (It
is worth noting that in the same Dec. 6-9 survey only 27% of Americans
said they were satisfied with the way things are going in the United
States at this time, providing a vivid contrast between Americans'
view of things "out there" across the country and their view of their
own personal lives.)
Let's break this down, shall we?
First, who provides folks' view of things "out there?"
That would be the press, right?
As such, more than three times as many Americans believe things are
going well with what they can directly see with their own eyes versus
what they have to rely on the media to report to them.
Pretty stunning, yes?
Furthermore, quite contrary to what those suffering from and spreading
the dreaded Bush Derangement Syndrome affirm, people are actually
happier with their lives under the current president than the average
since 1979.
That certainly goes counter to what we see, hear, and read from press
members on virtually a daily basis, isn't it, and quite suggests that
the media couldn't be more wrong about the temperament of the society.
To give us a clue as to why reporters are so gloomy is the following
Gallup finding:
Republicans are more likely than independents or Democrats to say
they are very satisfied with their personal lives and that they are
very happy.
Maybe more important, Democrats and Independents are almost twice as
likely as Republicans to be somewhat or very dissatisfied with their
lives.
I guess that's why folks like Keith Olbermann and Rosie O'Donnell
always sound so bitter.
--Noel Sheppard is an economist, business owner, and Associate Editor
of NewsBusters.
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I think that 14% who are
January 2, 2008 - 09:38 ET by Hero Squad
I think that 14% who are dissatisfied might go up; I mean, how many
members of the media became unhappy when these poll results were
released?
*****
"There are no stupid questions. Only stupid people who ask questions."
- Chris Berman
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It seems the MSM won't
January 2, 2008 - 09:38 ET by TWOTIMETUNA
It seems the MSM won't report on happy people.
Democrats are either Parasites or Parasite Enablers
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"Republicans are more
January 2, 2008 - 10:00 ET by chessplayer
"Republicans are more likely than independents or Democrats to say
they are very satisfied with their personal lives and that they are
very happy."
Aha! Thats the key libs will latch onto. They will say Republicans are
only happy because they are all filthy rich.
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"They will say Republicans
January 2, 2008 - 10:10 ET by Sonny Lykos
"They will say Republicans are only happy because they are all filthy
rich."
That's it. Because we're all making money from the backs of the poor
and middle class. WAIT! We ARE the middle class, but the MSM will
still say that.
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Libs
January 2, 2008 - 10:56 ET by iveseenitall
I worked closely with "liberals" for four decades. As a group, they
are the most unhappy, dissatisfied bunch of sad-sacks you'll ever
meet. Most of all, they are unhappy with themselves and they take it
out on anyone they can. Witness the likes of Olberman, Moore, Pinch,
Penn, Bill Press, Maher, Rosie, et.al. Ironically, it was one of their
own icons, Jimmy Carter, who said that if you give a liberal 95% of
what he wants, he will just complain about the other 5%. Sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
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Happiness and the Media
January 2, 2008 - 10:32 ET by Dr_Liberty
I bet if you crosstabbed with who regularly reads the MSM newspapers
or watches the MSM TV news, you would see an indirect relationship
between amount time spent with the MSM and happiness.
I spent the last two weeks in a self-imposed media blackout and my
mood is infinitely better than it was two weeks ago.
<insert witty signature here>
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I see that 7% of
January 2, 2008 - 10:33 ET by Roger the Shrubber
I see that 7% of Democrat(ic)s polled are "Not Too Happy", while 90%
of Democrat(ic)s who post at Newsbusters are "Pissing-Their-Pants-
Raving-Mad". Interesting.
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(It is worth noting that in
January 2, 2008 - 10:44 ET by MidAmerica
(It is worth noting that in the same Dec. 6-9 survey only 27% of
Americans said they were satisfied with the way things are going in
the United States at this time, providing a vivid contrast between
Americans' view of things "out there" across the country and their
view of their own personal lives.)
This 27% number is close to the reported approval number for
President Bush. He is the one held responsible for what happens 'out
there'. However as his term winds down and the country has to
consider what the next president will do the 84% personal satisfaction
number will come into play. The dems are running with promises to
change our lives and that's not where the country is dissatisfied.
Improvemnents are OK but not new big government intrusions into our
lives.
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The reason for this is
January 2, 2008 - 10:48 ET by bassndude
The reason for this is simple. It is called "transference". The
majority of journalists are unhappy with their lives. They transfer
this to the American people and figure, "Hmmm..if Im not happy, (and I
am a journalist!), most people in America must not be happy." Joe who
works for MSM calls Ray, who works for the MSM, they agree with each
other. Wa-la! A poll!!
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
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I think you are on to
January 2, 2008 - 10:53 ET by tater
I think you are on to something bass. I work at a tv station (not as a
journalist) so I've seen what our reporters have to go thru. They have
to deal with stress, deadlines, bad equipment, and constantly have to
do well over 50 hours of work with little pay. This is how it is
starting out...most are unhappy (and I can't blame them). More than
likely a new job higher up probably won't solve a lot of this. The tv
business isn't as glamourous as it looks
Do you realize how much it costs to run for office? More than any
honest man could afford. -Montgomery Burns
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I know tater. It is only
January 2, 2008 - 10:56 ET by bassndude
I know tater. It is only the "chair" that gets paid in the TV news
room. Not the people. You get an anchor job, and your doing ok, but by
that time, your mad at everyone and everything.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
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I just figured the reason we
January 2, 2008 - 12:00 ET by motherbelt
I just figured the reason we are happy is because we are too dumb to
know how bad off we are. The MSM probably make up the other 16% and
they are smart, and know that we are all one paycheck away from
homelessness, and suffer "food insecurity" and can't quit our jobs
that we hate because we will lose our health insurance. And they work
tirelessly to teach us these "facts," for our own benefit.
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Blue State/Red State
January 2, 2008 - 12:05 ET by PawpawN
We need it broken down by Blue State/Red State; Christian/Non-
Christian; etc!!!
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People who are happy are inept
January 2, 2008 - 13:23 ET by Lame Cherry
Jesus never once promised happy to anyone. He speaks of PEACE as in
contentment and joy.
Any person who is happy is inept as a drug addict on a high, because
happiness never lasts.
Teddy Roosevelt wrote ...
read more >>
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