Politics, Society

ABC/WASHINGTON POST POLL: 56 Percent of Voters Believe That Hillary Clinton Should Have Been Charged After FBI Investigation

Hillary_Clinton_Testimony_to_House_Select_Committee_on_BenghaziIn a surprising poll by ABC and the Washington Post, a majority of Americans disapprove of the FBI’s recommendation not to charge Hillary Clinton with a crime over her mishandling of emails as secretary of state. Moreover, a majority say that the scandal has left them uncertain and worried about her ability to be president.

The poll still shows Democrats more likely to give Clinton the benefit of the doubt, but Independents show the same hardened view as Republicans. That is a matter of concern for the Clinton camp. Clinton has relied on the hardest core Democrats (and the DNC leadership) to guarantee her nomination. However, she now needs to secure the Independent vote, particularly given the alienation from her showed in polls for groups like white males.

Overall, 56 percent disapprove of FBI Director James Comey’s recommendation not to charge Clinton, while just 35 percent approve. Similarly, 57 percent say the incident makes them worried about how Clinton might act as president if she is elected, with most very worried about it. Just 39 percent feel the issue isn’t related to how she would perform as president. Those are truly horrible numbers for a presidential candidate going into a political convention.

Notably, the 35 and 39 percent seems to reflect Clinton’s hardcore base numbers. Once again, she is fortunate thus far to be running against Donald Trump who equals her in negative polling numbers. The two candidates now stand as the least popular in U.S. history to run for the presidency.  The latest poll shows a statistical dead heat with Clinton’s lead shrinking to just three points over Trump.

107 thoughts on “ABC/WASHINGTON POST POLL: 56 Percent of Voters Believe That Hillary Clinton Should Have Been Charged After FBI Investigation”

  1. To Prairie Rose –
    I re-read the FBI transcript of Director Comey’s comments. It does not say that any of Hillary’s emails contained any material “marked Top Secret.” Anything that was supposed to be Top Secret was that way only on the say-so of the “owning agency,” whoever that might be. I still have not seen any replies in this column as to who the ultimate classification authority is within the State Department. Does the State Department have one voice re the classification of material for which it is the owning agency?
    Classification of information is a very subjective business, and opinions vary. Turley has in the past opined that pretty much anything a State Department employee says or writes is classified. Clinton has said that way too much stuff is classified.
    Who can say what the “right” level of classification is?

  2. After foraging through 65 opinions, seeking words to agree with, I think Paul S has some good, credible logic. All of his posts raise questions that I haven’t heard answered. As for Rep. Gowdy, isn’t perjury before Congress still a crime?

  3. Paul, the ever so relevant Flat Earth Society has a small collection of principled idealists too.

    1. Roscoe – I think the Flat Earth Society sees themselves as pragmatists, not idealists.

  8. Well, the blog did not print the ugly photo of Hillary with sunglasses on, holding up her smartphone and typing something in. That photo is usually the photo used by the media when speaking on this topic. The intent is to defame her. The second most common photo used by the Republican media is the one printed on the page here today on this blog.

    If you worked for the government would you trust the government’s email server?

    1. If you worked for the government, it wouldn’t matter if you trusted your employers servers it not, especially not if you worked for the State Dep’t. There happens to be and have been a law on the books that says employees must use that server for all work related emails. To do otherwise is a criminal act. The law is the law.

  9. JayS,
    The Clinton Foundation emails were not subject to the FBI investigation, to my knowledge. If those demonstrated shady behavior, that could damage her politically. Also, in the FBI investigation some of the emails marked Top Secret were not released. Consider if those were hacked and not simply in the possession of our government: if those could damage her and/or the government, then they could be used as blackmail.

  10. JR –
    Just what sort of “email evidence that would destroy her politically” are you envisioning? Are you asserting that there are emails somewhere that have escaped detection so far? If so, based on what evidence?

    1. She herself admits to deleting 30,000+ emails that she claims were personal, yet she was under investigation already when it was done, so who can say none were damning evidence, or even that ANY were truly personal? And we know her private server was hacked, just not who all the hackers were.

  12. Imagine a future President Clinton in a closed door negotiation with Putin. He presents her with email evidence that would destroy her politically. Does she: 1) come clean and suffer the consequences; or 2) make a deal to sell out her country? The question answers itself.

  13. Among the 44% are people who now know that following the law is a fool’s game.

    Now compliance will be according to the likelihood of getting caught, rather than by traditional honor and civility.
    Guess how that’ll turn out.

    Thanks, Hill, Bill, and Barry!

  14. Apparently, 56% of Americans still believe there is a functioning Constitution and the rule of law.

    That’s just soooooo cute!

  15. Paul,
    “Prairie Rose – he keeps wanting to federalize police departments.”

    True. But why does it follow that he will refuse to leave office unless HRC as President appoints him to the supreme court??? Do you know of other data that suggests such an outcome?

    The Imperial Presidency seems to be passed along from oligarch to oligarch, so why would the pattern change? Trump does not strike me as that much of an outsider to warrant a coup by TPTB.

  16. @isaac

    Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger—I had three of my comments zapped today. I probably deserved it on one of them, maybe even two, but not all three. Anyway, I am not the moderator so, I just grin and bear it. Anyway, why are you so anti-Trump?

    He has irritated the Republican Party oligarch-types. Isn’t that a ood thing? Meanwhile, HRC has the blessing of Wall Street, which has to chafe your rear end a little. Sending millions of the illegals packing would free up jobs for Americans, scrapping the TPP would start reversing these disastrous trade deals, and making the other free trade deals work both ways would help American workers. Plus, he is not the warmonger HRC and her crowd are.

    Sooo, are you one of those people who vote for Democrats just because they aren’t Republicans, or do you actually have principles you believe in???

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  17. Hopefully my freedom of speech won’t be taken from this blog a second time today. Clinton may be all that her accusers rant, but probably not that bad and the alternative is a hundred times worse. So, perhaps it’s something else, like the dysfunctional but sacred American system of oligarchy. It’s easy to target a product of a perverse system; harder to accept the fact that the system is perverse. For now it’s Clinton or Trump. Unfortunately it is just that simple.

  18. Paul,
    That is very creepy. What data do you have to lead you to this scary conclusion.

    1. Prairie Rose – he keeps wanting to federalize police departments.

  19. Steve and Olly,
    I, too, was surprised and disheartened that the percentage was so low. We are in deep trouble as a nation if only 56% care about the rule of law and character.

    I wish there was a “None of the Above” button for the election. I think that choice would win by a long shot. However, how would a “do-over” work? Would President Obama have his term extended? Would Biden or the Senate majority leader hold office til someone could be elected?

    1. Prairie Rose – I have the fear that Obama is going to refuse to leave office unless Hillary wins and she names him to the SC.

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