Just 39% of Americans know that the operating rights are currently owned by a foreign firm. Fifteen percent (15%) believe the operating rights are U.S. owned while 46% are not sure.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of Americans say they have been following news about the Dubai Ports deal somewhat or very closely.
I do not believe the American people are idiots. But in one of Rass's polls they admitted that DESPITE having followed it closely, so they say, they do not know pretty basic facts. So high figures against the deal are pretty meaningless to me. If you're against and knew the facts, good for you, at least you were properly informed before giving an opinion. The American people as a whole were not.
To me, this indicates they did NOT follow it closely as they claim OR their sources of information did not adequately convey the facts. I think it's a mixture of both.
How, then, is this different from other periods like the NSA taps? Simple. Conservatives, the majority of them, came out strongly against on this from the start. And the President didn't come out strongly with the facts as he did with his saturday radio address re: the NSA taps.
Result? Liberals, of course, against. Republicans/Conservatives fractured in half. The FR poll bears this out, and so do the national polls. Whether anywhere between mid-60's to 80% against, the reality is those NOT against it are about half the GOP base. And Indy's hearing mostly negative conservative and Liberal press come out against. What, does anyone think moderates were going to go against the grain of Liberal and conservative bi-partisanship? ;-)
The polls aren't surprising. Just not credible IF your intent is to state the American people knew the facts and came to a well researched conclusion. That is, if you believe RASS is credible and his findings that the people believed false facts about this as true. I do.
If your intent is simply to say the people wanted the deal to fail, sure, valid argument. But valid on the supposition they were knowledgeable about the subject in question? That I strongly disagree with.