Ollie North's 95% approval rating: Truth or Lie?

[tom_paine]

Poll question: Ollie North's 95% approval rating: Truth or Lie?

You know, pondering the grotesquely Orwellian proportions the Party-Loyal Right-Wing Sub-Media has achieved (ie the ability to launder any lie, no matter how factually incorrect, combined with the ability to obfuscate any truth, no matter how factually demonstrable), it makes me wonder just how far back in time it goes.

We all know the Freepers operated freely on the web for YEARS with no one to expose their Cyber-Brownshirt tactics. We also know that the Busheviks have been vampires on the neck of our nation for decades before that.

Looking back at Iran-Contra, which in many ways was the first time we got a taste of Up is Down Orwellianism where the Democrats had Bush the Smarter dead to rights on truly ciminal violations of the Constitution, but backed off because of the "poll numbers" and how angry Americans would be if they impeached a popular pResident (not that Ronnie had anything to do with anything in the 12 year Imperial reign of Bush I).

One thing I remember quite strongly, and one of the things that scared the Dems into backing off, was Ollie North's 95% approval rating.

Knowing what we now know in hindsight, did something like 85% of Dems then "fall in love" with Ollie, exonaerating him of his crimes when tyhey looked into his puppy (killer) eyes? Or was it a sort of test run for injecting bad facts (you, know...lies) into a steadily weakening Mainstream Media?

[dofus]

1. Most thoughtful people I know

were outraged at Ollie North's behavior at the time. And I don't thing that "thoughtful people" were a mere 5 percent of the population.

[emad]

2. Anyone done a similar for Gary Condit?

or is he just too unmentionable on the DU now?

[Sweetpea]

3. Ollie North ????

No comment.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. I can say for a fact...

That among former military officers, especially ones who held substantial rank, Ollie's approval rating is a hell of a lot less than 95%. He is considered a disgrace to the uniform and his oath of commission.

I was hipped to that by a former general officer.

[rasputin1952]

7. I agree...and might add that there is no LtCol...

that could have that kind of authority without some serious help from above, (Think Poindexter). While a few individuals may have thought that North was some kind of hero, the vast majority of Americans that served in the Armed Forces know him for what he was, a rank starved megalomaniac, that took a dim view of his Constitutional obligations, (read subversive). :grr:

:kick:

[Grins]

16. I can second that fact...

I know a lot of military and they hate North, especially the Marines!

I used to work for a West Pointer that was a Reagan appointee in the Pentagon for a while, and he absolutely HATED North. Wondered how a damn Lt. Col. could subvert the Congress and the republic so easily. (Answer: friends in hig places.) He referred to North and all Lt. Col's on Capitol Hill) as "easel carriers"; because they had no standing on anything.

Remember that Senator Warner took a raft of S*** for refusing to support the lying North in his run for the Senate, and Warner had a lot of Navy and Marines that agreed with him. The repubs promised revenge on Warner (boy, does this sound familiar!), but he didn't care and they couldn't touch him anyway. He now chairs the Armed Services Committee.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

5. I confess: I'm the one who checked 'Ollie is god, you unpatriotic scum'

It just seemed so lonely here without a maurading Freeper skidding to an all-caps stop on this very thread. Just call me the margin of error. :)

[burythehatchet]

6. More proof that

liberals have constantly been on the defensive. We'll never move forward until we dictate the terms of engagement.

[Basurero]

8. Was Congress blackmailed?

Ollie North was involved in selling arms to terrorists and selling drugs to American kids and he's still a free man. North he did it with the approval of his bosses, John Poindexter, George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. The traitor and his bosses belong behind bars.

The reason he isn't, I believe, is that the FBI had pictures and tape recordings that showed similar criminality on the part of many in Congress. Remember, the S&L lootings were going on then. Unlike the crimes of Ollie and Co., there is no proof of that I know of, unfortunately.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Basurero!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[leesa]

9. Why would anyone approve of Ollie North in any situation?

That man is just poor protoplasm. Good thing he buit all those concentration camps for us though. Bush Crime Family lackey and official water boy.

[Patriot_Spear]

10. Ollie North is a Traitor.

There's a reason why the Constitution comes first in the Oath you swear when you join the service.

Ollie North betrayed every American who died in the Revolution when he betrayed his Oath as an officer.

He disgusts me.

[Gin]

11. Ollie who???? A slug named Ollie was banished from my thoughts

years ago....the only Ollie I recognize is the one who answers to Ollie want a cracker?

[tom_paine]

12. I couldn't agree more, P_S

But supposedly, we were told by the "librul media" in 1987 that 95% of us approved of him.

Persinally, I can't see ANY veteran approving of breaking your oath to the Constitution, though I will allow for it. But 95% of EVERYONE?

That doesn't seem possible. ABRAHAM LINCOLN doesn't have a 95% approval rating (notice how many Freepers hate his guts)!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. What I do remember from those days is

that there were reports of telegrams pouring into the offices of the Committee members, expressing support for Oliver North.

One journalist--and I wish I could remember who it was--revealed that Western Union was running huge ads in newspapers offering a special rate for people who wanted to "express their support for Ollie North."

Other commentators (from FAIR, perhaps?) pointed out that he was often photographed from below in a pose that made him look like a lonely fighter for the American Way. His sanctimonious way of speaking was almost as smarmy as that of evangelist Robert Schuler.

His approval was nowhere near 95%. Even Mark Russell was sarcastically asking why all these bigwigs were taking orders from a lieutenant colonel.

[really-looney]

14. If he was really at 95% he would be in the Senate

If Lt Col Shit for Brains approval rating was ever that high he would have beaten Senator Robb. In Virginia where even a jerk like George Allen can win, I would think that a Republican with a 95% approval rating would have mopped the floor with Senator Robb, an honorable marine.

[Stupdworld]

15. why does he deserve an "approval rating"

i mean, i thought those things were only for elected officials, not numbnutz like him. i don't buy it, because nobody really knew what he did, since it was pretty well hidden, swept away under the rug. I highly doubt that there was this big Ollie love a thon. But the idea for approval ratings for unelected people is wierd. It has no bearing on anything that 90% of people like Ollie or 85% of people think Rush is a drugged up fool or that 55% of people secretly wish they were given a makeover by Queer Eye. It just sounds wierd.

Anyways i just think it was more miserable crap.

And since you like to point out my sarcasm here is my mandatory, tom paine disapproved sarcastic rant...actually i can't string together better hyperbole about republicans being in league with the dark side.

[tom_paine]

19. As usual, you miss the point, stupdworl

The point was that for a brief time in 1987, we were innundated daily with

"Amerika LOVES Ollie North!"

and "Ollie North has a 95% approval rating!"

and "Does Ollie North and his 95% approval rating mean that the Iran-Contra hearings were a mistake?"

and blah blah blah

You don't remember that? Am I lying about that? Or were you too young at the time to remember?

Now we know that so many of the Busheviks "talking points" are utter fabrications and that it is terribly easy for the Right-Wing to launder their fabrications into conventional wisdom by constant repetition through Right-Wing Sub-Media, including Talk Radio, and the Corporate Media, which increasingly seems to danace to the Right-Wing Sub-Media's tune as far as coverage and what they talk about (and often HOW they talk about it, which is an important framing issue).

You deny dictated the coverage of the Mainstream Media? If so, I guess you missed WhiterwaterTravelGateFilegate and the entire Clinton Era.

Knowing all that, I am asking if this was one of the early "trial ballons".

And I don't disapprove of sarcastic rants per se, stupdworld, I just disapprove of them as the sole and only reason for posting.

You would have made a great German in 1933, or an Afrikaner in 1947.

I guess those were just wacky conspiracy theories, too.

[Stupdworld]

25. ill cut you some slack

i was 9 in 1987. ill take your word on this one.


oh and yes my background is part german including part french. so not only would i be blind to hitler, i would be surrendering to him at the same time.

[tom_paine]

26. Thanks, stupdworld

You are pretty funny, I'll grant you that.

:evilgrin:

[Silverhair]

18. Was Ollie's questioning on TV live?

If I remember right Ollies was on TV for hours for several days being questioned by congressmen. Like him or hate him, he had GREAT camera presence. He looked the hero on TV, and the public responded to that.

[tom_paine]

20. I don't question that, I question the 95% approval figure

that was bandied about for weeks!

Knowing what we now know about the Right's media methodologies, I am asking if it is possible that this was a fabrication.

70% approval I could buy, maybe even 80%. But 95%. Abraham Lincoln's approval rating isn't that high (too many Freepers hate his Yankee Godless Federal Goverment Expandin' guts)

[Silverhair]

27. I don't remember the figure.

And I'm not going to waste time looking it up. My memory is that he got his 15 minutes of fame & glory, and them mostly faded into the woodwork. I had forgotten his failed senate try. I understand he has a talk radio show now. I have never heard it. He was very popular for a short while.

[Military Brat]

22. What I remember is the Marines' disgust of North in uniform

That's what sticks in my mind, how many Marines came forward to say that they wish he wouldn't wear the uniform in court because he had disgraced the Marine Corps.

Screw Ollie North and the horse he rode in on. I'm still spitting nails whenever someone mentions his name.


Edited to make a correction because spitting nails and typing at the same time isn't easy

[tom_paine]

23. Love your sig line, Military Brat

So true...so true...

[Military Brat]

24. Thanks, TP

Your sig line is a classic

[MadMan]

21. Ah, the criminal Ollie North

Anybody remember "he ain't my president!" (in reference to WJC).

F--k him, he's a piece of shit wingnut and a FauxNews analyst to boot.