---Who's saying what?? Interesting poll data about the public opinion re; bailout---

[1corona4u]

(snip)

What are people saying today? First, it is clear people are paying attention. Since 1985, Pew Research Center pollsters have been asking people how much attention they pay to various news stories. In the News Interest Index released this week, 49% said they were following the turmoil among financial institutions on Wall Street "very closely," a far higher level of interest than Pew found about the Fannie Mae (nyse: FNM - news - people ) and Freddie Mac (nyse: FRE - news - people ) takeover earlier this month, or even the 1989 savings and loan crisis.

How pollsters word their questions affects public opinion about what should be done. In the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, 44% approved of "the steps the Federal Reserve and Treasury have taken to try to deal with the current situation involving the stock market and major financial institutions," while 42% disapproved.

In polling firm Zogby's question, which described the costs and benefits of a "sweeping bailout," 46% supported it and 46% were opposed. In Pew's question, 57% said the government was doing the right thing by "potentially investing billions to try and keep financial institutions and markets secure," but 30% said it was doing the wrong thing.

Though confidence in Wall Street is low and concern is high, just 28% told Fox News/Opinion Dynamics interviewers that, if they were given $10,000 today, they would put it under their mattress. Two-thirds said it would be safer in a bank.

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/09/26/polls-wall-street-oped-cx_kb_0929bowman.html