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"Fox News Viewers: Most Misinformed" According to University Study (12.15.10)

12.15.10 -- University of Maryland -- A recent survey of American voters by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes showed that Fox News viewers have more incorrect information than people who get their news from other sources.

And the more they watch Fox News, the more misinformation they have.

Here is a list of what Fox News viewers believe that is untrue:

>91% think the stimulus legislation lost jobs
>72% think health reform legislation is going to increase the deficit
>72% think the economy is getting worse than it was under George Bush
>60% think climate change isn't happening
>49% think Obama has raised income taxes 
>63% think stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts
>56% think Obama started the GM/Chrysler bailout
>38% think that most Republicans opposed TARP
>63% think President Obama probably wasn't born in the U.S. 

READ MORE: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/  

Other media studies have had similar results. A PIPA study showed a majority of Fox viewers believed things that were not true about the Iraq war. And there was an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that showed Fox viewers' misunderstood health care reform. 

Obama Defends Afghanistan War in Face of New Opposition (12.16.10)

12.16.10--Washington -- On Thursday, the Obama administration said the United States is having some success in Afghanistan and rejected public opinion which is 60% against it.

According to a new ABC News-Washington Post poll 60% of Americans now say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting. Public disapproval of the war is now similar to the highest opposition to the war in Iraq, which peaked at 66% in 2007.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said policy should not be based on public opinion, adding, ": I don't think leaders -- and certainly this president will not -- make decisions that are matters of life and death and the future security of our nation based on polling. That would not be something that you will see him, or any of us, deciding. We are trying to do the very best we can with the leadership that we've all been entrusted with, to avoid making the mistakes that were made in previous years, where we did not develop the kind of relationship and understanding and coordination with either Afghanistan or Pakistan that would enable us to have a better way of interacting with them and perhaps preventing some of what came to pass. And frankly, walking away at critical moments in critical moments in the last 25 to 30 years, that created conditions that we had a hand in unfortunately contributing to. [...]

She reemphasized the administration's position that the war in Afghanistan is essential for the security of Americans, saying, "I think it's understandable, and I'm very respectful of the feelings of the American people, but the question I would ask is, how do you feel about a continuing American commitment that is aimed at protecting you and your family now and into the future? Because that's the question we've asked, and this is how we've answered it."

The U.S. currently has 100,000 troops in Afghanistan (including 30,000 President Obama sent last year.) 40,000 more are there from NATO.

READ MORE:   www.huffingtonpost.com