What are the latest polls regarding Chavez's

[Cheung Mo]

I'm not asking for right-wing push polls about issues like RCTV, unlimited presidency, or student protests (which is what we've been seeing for the most part since the election, "coincidentally" enough)...I'm asking for polls that provide a holistic view of Venezuelan public opinion with regards to the performance of Chavez and of the Venezuelan government.

[Dominicana_1965]

70%
www.oilwars.blogspot.com, keep scrolling down past the Food market post.

[Dominicana_1965]

I still am not in a good place to upload pictures. But there are some very interesting poll numbers that I can manage to type even without a USB connection.

They come from the last page of the August 10th edition of Quinta Dia and are the numbers from a Sejias poll, ie they are from one of Venezuela´s more reliable polling firms. Without further introduction here they are:

General situation of the country:

Excellent 5.7%

Good 42.4%

Bad 22.3%

Terrible 18.8%

No answer 10.8%

Don´t worry, that is probably the worst set of numbers in the whole poll.

The three principal problems that the country confronts currently (spontaneous answers):

Crime 81.1%

Unemployment 43.3%

High cost of living 19.8%

Political instability 19.3%

Poverty 14.5%

Health 12.5%

Lack of housing 12.3%

Public services 11.3%

Shortages 11%

Condition of roads 6.2%

Corruption 5.6%

Education 5.4%

Water 2.9%

Others 5.7%

No Response 2.2%

No surprises here. The real issues of the country, out of control crime and the need for more jobs are way up on the list. The supposed that don´t really exist to any great extent outside of Globovision´s studios - corruption, lack of housing, and "shortages", are way down on the list.

Do you agree with "21st Century Socialism":

Agree 31.8%

Disagree 23.3%

No enough information 41.3%

No response 3.5%

Preferred system of government:

Social Democracy 62%

Socialism 21.7%

Communism 5.5%

Capitalism 5.3%

No response 5.6%

That social democracy, a mixed economy with extensive social programs, wins easily didn´t surprise me. That communism edged out capitalism was interesting!

The importance of consitutional reform, elaborated by the commission named by President Chavez, for the country:

Very important 61.5%

Somewhat important 17%

Not important at all 16.7%

No response 4.5%

Do you agree with the decision of the government to freeze the tuition of private educational institutions:

Agree 62.4%

Somewhat agree 17%

Disagree 17.4%

No response 3.2%

The reason the government decided to freeze tution:

To eliminate private education 21.5%

The private schools were speculating with tuition 72.1%

No response 6.4%

Regarding the protests of the professors and students in favor of university autonomy:

Agree with university autonomy 65.2%

Disagree with university autonomy 26.6%

No response 8.3%

Regarding university autonomy:

It should be kept 47.1%

It should be changed 40.8%

It should be eliminated 7.3%

Do you support the current student movement?:

Support it 72.6%

Don´t support it 16.8%

No response 10.6%

Ahhh, it sounds like the opposition finally got a number in this poll that it would like. But not really. Check out the following question.

Which student movement has more of a future?:

The student movement opposing the government 29.5%

The student movement that supports the government 56.3%

No response 14.3%

Gee, I guess the rich students who showed they had nothing to say by walking out of the National Assembly didn´t do themselves any favors. Maybe next time they should find someone besides ARS Publicidad to write their scripts.

Regarding the Chavez government and the rest of the world:

It is isolating Venezuela from the rest of the world 32.8%

It is strengthening Venezuela´s position in the rest of the world 58.8%

No response 8.3%

Regarding the Copa America:

It was a success 77.9%

It was a failure 15.1%

No response 7%

Hugo Chavez´s performance as president of Venezuela:

Excellent 17%

Good 30.1%

Regular to good 25.8%

Regular to bad 10.6%

Bad 6.8%

Terrible 8.8%

No response 1.1%

This adds up to about a 74% approval rating for Chavez!!!!!!!!!

You´d be hard pressed to find a president on the planet that wouldn´t be estatic over those numbers!

The situation of the country over the 8 years of the Chavez administration:

Has improved 52.1%

Has stayed the same 19.8%

Has gotten worse 26.5%

No response 1.7%

Again, solid numbers

And what follows is what in my view is the most meaningful and important set of numbers in this poll and in any poll.

Regarding you and your family personally how have things changed during the 8 years of the Chavez government:

They have improved 45%

They have stayed the same 36.7%

They have gotten worse 17.8%

No response .4%

The reason I said this was the most important question is that whether people see their own lives getting better or worse determines whether they will vote for any incumbant government and it is also the question least likely to be effected by pro or anti government propoganda.

And looking at these numbers Chavez is doing great. Almost half the country says things have improved for them and their family while less than a fifth say they have gotten worse. As long as those numbers stay that way it is hard to envision Chavez losing any vote.

A final question which isn´t nearly as meaningful, but still is interesting:

What political party do you belong to and/or support?:

PSUV 17.9 % (pro-Chavez)
MVR 14.2% (pro-Chavez)
Un Nuevo Tiempo 5.2% (opposition)
Primero Justicia 3.5% (opposition)
Patria Para Todos 2.2% (pro-Chavez)
Accion Democratica 2.1% (opposition)
Proyecto Venezuela 1.8% (opposition)
Podemos 1.6% (pro-Chavez)
Copei 1.5% (opposition)
Alianza Bravo Pueblo .8% (opposition)
Causa R .4% (opposition)
Tupamaro .4% (pro-Chavez)
MAS .2% (opposition)
No party 43.2%
No response 4.7%

As you can see, the opposition may have more political parties, but Chavez has more supporters.

In summary, this comprehensive polls shows that Venezuelans view the situation of the country as good, their own personal situation as improving, and they LOVE Chavez.

[Cheung Mo]

So that's what the reactionary and bourgeois sources who cited people siding with the student's movement against Chavez were talking about when they produced that ridiculous number as opposing Chavez? Interesting...I remember when CNN presented footage of Venezuelans in line receiving food and government benefits and claimed it was a huge line of people signing an anti-Chavez petition.

The ideological breakdown is interesting though...To see that nearly 90% of the population views themselves as leftist to some extent and that capitalism was unable to even top "no response" probably explains why people will choose Chavez over a rightist opponent even if they may not want him to be allowed to run for office as many times as he likes...They simply don't want capitalism.

[Dominicana_1965]

Interesting...I remember when CNN presented footage of Venezuelans in line receiving food and government benefits and claimed it was a huge line of people signing an anti-Chavez petition.

I wouldn't even trust CNN on whether those were even Venezuelans.
Last time they were exposed for attaching numerous worldwide protests and claiming that they were taking place in Venezuela!

[Cheung Mo]

But of course, we have to let the corporate media say what it wants..It's freedom of the press..Stopping them from lying? Censorship

[Eleftherios]

Yeah, but nobody, not even Hugo Chavez's most vicious opponents, can deny that Hugo Chavez is still popular among the majority of the population, even though there is still large demonstrations held against him

[Cheung Mo]

Originally posted by [email protected] 26, 2007 05:53 pm
Yeah, but nobody, not even Hugo Chavez's most vicious opponents, can deny that Hugo Chavez is still popular among the majority of the population, even though there is still large demonstrations held against him
Ordinary Venezuelans who oppose his policies have admitted to having their quality of life improved throughout the revolutionary period.