A new Quinnpiac poll not only brought bad news for Obama with respect to his ratings on job approval and trustworthiness, but also on the Benghazi scandal that both the White House and the media have worked so hard to dismiss. A plurality of 39% believe Benghazi is a legitimate scandal; 27% disagree. A full 46% believe Obama deliberately misled the American people about Libya; 40% disagree.
The numbers change considerably among those who have actually heard or read about the September 11 terror attack, with 43% calling Benghazi a legitimate scandal; 30% disagreeing. Using the same filter, a full 50% believe Obama deliberately misled the public, with only 40% disagreeing.
Obviously, to a point, the White House/media strategy to wrist-flick the scandal is working. A sizable part of the public is simply unfamiliar with Libya. But the good news for those of us who consider getting the full truth about Libya an issue of major importance is that the more people learn about it, the more they see it as a scandal; and with Republicans pushing for more documentation and more hearings, public awareness should only increase.
Quinnipiac also shows, though, that a plurality believes Congress is “playing politics,” as opposed to “raising legitimate concerns” about Libya. Only 32% of those surveyed believe Congress is raising legitimate concerns, while 43% believe they are playing politics. Among those familiar with Benghazi, the split is about the same: 36% – 45%.
If the two numbers feel like they contradict one another, they really don’t. It is perfectly reasonable to believe Obama lied and Congress is acting politically.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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