Al Hunt on CNN Misleading Viewers about AWB

[Warbow]

So, I'm up late flipping through the channels and come upon CNNs "The Capital Gang." The main host, Al Hunt, goes into a quick, ridiculous piece as part of the "Outrage of the Week" segment about the AWB sunsetting. Here's what he said:

HUNT: And now, for the outrages of the week.

Great news, you can bag Bambi with an Uzi or AK-47 starting Monday when the ban on lethal assault weapons expires. Even though, according to the Annenberg Survey Center, 68 percent of Americans support the ban on these deadly weapons, President Bush, instead went into the tank for the gun lobby. He calculates most people will forget about this, but the gun nuts won't. The biggest winners however, are gangs and terrorists who prey on innocent people and love these killing machines.

(Transcript here.)

I'm sending some words their way.

Please let this windbag know how you feel about his ignorant ramblings.

 

[Hal]

Annenberg Survey Center has the results of the survey on-line at
http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/naes/2004_03_guns_09-06_pr.pdf.

4,959 people were interviewed via telephone. That number is rediculous as far as being representative of ~ 300 million Americans.

 

[jamz]

Plus, you never know how a phone poll is worded. You can get almost any result you want by wording it the right way.

"The AWB will expire in a few days, leting thousands of deadly assault weapons back to the street and give people the increased ability to kill you and your family and the dog. Do you want this to happen? Yes or No."

 

[R.H. Lee]

Some bedwetting leftist makes another wild eyed spittle flying accusation, and we always respond with reason and logic. How's that workin' for us?

 

[OEF_VET]

The biggest winners however, are gangs and terrorists who prey on innocent people and love these killing machines.

That's funny, I thought the weapon of choice for the terrorists responsible for the most deadly attack on America was box-cutters and jumbo-jets, not Uzis and AK-47's. I'd even bet that Mr. Hunt has one of them evil box-cutters himself. Maybe we should report him to the BATFEBC (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives and Box-Cutters).

 

[Tharg]

Bah - lets not forget that they never bother to actually report on something - other than what they've heard. Wasnt' there a day when reporters actually did some research? I thought that used to be the norm... report the truth or something.

You will notice he failed to report that you could still get a AK47 or an Uzi, ya just couldn't get one w/ a bayonet....

yeap - i guess if a box cutter can do it.. then a knife with a GUN mounted on the knives accessory rail could do more... <rofl - sorry couldn't resist that one>

Oh - and the mag restriction - the only obvious thing that worked on the ban... was easily gotten around by making a JACKLOAD of those magazines before the AWB come into effect... essentially they STILL have grandfathered magazines to sell to people.

So what did the law accomplish that its such an outrage to let it "sunset"...

THAT is what i want them to report on. What the law you so vociferously defend did to "make the streets safer"... never happen - since if yer an anti - then the fact that it might have stopped one kid from stabbing himself on a bayonett its worth it. (johnny - put away that duct tape - its illegal to mount that kitchen knife on a SKS.... )

bleh

J/Tharg!

 

[aut2no]

Al Hunt is Judy Woodruff's husband

see thread

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100578

I posted there the transcrript of her interview w/ Sara Brady & NRA's Wayne L.

 

[medic_guns]

Uzi's AK's and AR's also happen to be the weapon of choice for SELF DEFENSE against terrorists and criminals. Remember the asians who defended their store during the LA riots (Rodney King) with those dasterdly AK semi's???? HMMMM? All of the police went running away, so the store owners did what was necessary. I bet they were thanking God that they had those "illegitimate" guns.

Ric
medic out

 

[Standing Wolf]

Some bedwetting leftist makes another wild eyed spittle flying accusation, and we always respond with reason and logic. How's that workin' for us?

Keeps us tap-tap-tapping at keyboards instead of putting in range time.

 

[Coronach]

Some bedwetting leftist makes another wild eyed spittle flying accusation, and we always respond with reason and logic. How's that workin' for us?

I was under the impression that the law was gonna sunset on Monday. Sounds to me like it worked this time.

As to the sample size, circa 5,000 people is a pretty good n. The questions become: wording of questions; knowledge of the subject matter on the part of the respondants; representativeness of the sample.

You can play with two of the three to obtain the results you want, and if you fail to control for the third it can also have a large impact. My guess? "Sir, do you think that the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban should be renewed, or not?" "Wow...gollee gee. Machine guns are pretty bad...I think it should be renewed!"



Mike

 

[Monkeyleg]

I watch "The Capitol Gang" every Saturday. Al Hunt is one of the most liberal talking heads on any network. What's worse, though, is that he's mean and petty.

 

[Marko Kloos]

The outcome of a phone poll is also greatly dependent on the polled audience. 5,000 calls to numbers listed in the Manhattan phone book will yield a far different result than 5,000 calls to numbers in Brownsville, Texas, for example.

 

[Warbow]

Standing Wolf wrote:

Keeps us tap-tap-tapping at keyboards instead of putting in range time.

Says the guy who has over ten thousand posts.

 

[Waitone]

Telephone polls result depend upon
--When poll was taken. Weekend polls are worthless.
--Question sequence
--Sample demographics
--Adjustments to the results
--How was the sample generated.
--Sample adjustments
--Definitions of terms used in the survey.
--and this is critical; what are the connect statistics
------what percentage of no-answers
------what percentage of refusals
------what percentage of hang-ups
------what is total number of calls made to produce 5000 good surveys
------how were broken surveys handled

Read the first chapter of Dick Morris' "Off With Their Heads" It describes in exquisite detail how to manipulate polls to achieve pre-determined results.

 

[Wingshooter]

johnny - put away that duct tape - its illegal to mount that kitchen knife on a SKS...

Now that is funny.

 

[davek]

I don't doubt for a second that 68 percent of the population is for the ban. At least that number doesn't know any better and depend on the media in order to make an "informed" decision...and as we know, the media has these people believing that the AWB deals with machine guns and rifle grenades.