File under: You can't fool all the people all the time:
An overwhelming majority of Americans, Republicans included, are rejecting right-wing protests — encouraged by President Trump — to immediately “reopen” the country in the midst of the world’s largest and deadliest coronavirus outbreak, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll.
The survey, conducted April 17 to April 19, found that a full 60 percent of the public opposes the largely pro-Trump protesters whose calls for governors to “liberate” their states by lifting lockdown measures have attracted intense media attention in recent days — and whose message the president amplified Friday in a series of all-caps “LIBERATE” tweets about three swing states: Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.
Only 22 percent of Americans say they support the protesters. Despite Trump’s messaging, even Republicans oppose the protests 47 percent to 36 percent. Asked whether they agree or disagree with Trump’s “LIBERATE” tweets, only a quarter of Americans say they agree.
The total number of protesters may be small. But the public’s dismissive attitude toward them reflects a deeper sentiment: Americans strongly disagree with those who claim the country is ready to reopen for business. (our emphasis)The media must reflect this in their reporting, rather than that the few whiny, right- wing protesters represent a "wave" of anti- "lockdown" sentiment, unless 22 percent is a wave. They really shouldn't get coverage at all because it could only encourage other weak- minded people to do harm to themselves and others. But if they must be covered, those ignorant, astroturf yahoos protesting "lockdown" measures must be portrayed as representing only a small, misinformed fraction of the population (who, if their political allegiance is any guide to their reasoning power, couldn't find their asses with both hands). Obviously, the vast majority of us who are staying home won't be seen going out en masse to preen for the cameras like the dolts do, but that doesn't mean we're not the vast majority.
