Yet, at the same time they are offended by this caricature, the majority Muslim nations persecute Christians, sometimes pressuring them to convert. However, this is not published in the media.

Ventanita: I love ya but your argument is really flabby. Two polls were being cited, and pollsters sometimes come up with different results. That's quite different from what you are charging Rangel with. He cited one poll and you found another, that's all there is to it.

But in your rush to get a 'gotcha' on the target-rich environment of Jose Vissarionovich Rangel, you've missed some important bigger details.

Rangel got his 77% information apparently from Evo Golinger WHO IS A CUBAN AGENT. If you google, you'll see the Feb 3 essay that she wrote for Axis of Logic. Eva is a scary bitch who is in bed with Castro's men and gives orders at places like the Venezuelan embassy. That's how scary she is and you should read up on her at VCrisis, every word, it's information that's been out for awhile. I don't believe the 77% figure at all, but I think castro gave it to her to put out for some reason, probably to counter the 62% figure as disinformation.

The Datanalisis 62% poll is probably off too. You are aware that on the Dec. 4 congressional election that only 15% of the people turned out to vote for Chavez at all. What does that say about the other 85%? Particularly in light of a Chavez ally threatening to fire everyone with a public job if they didn't get out and vote? Particularly in light of all the effort Chavez put in - mountains of TV ads, exhortations, screaming, yelling, multiple-hour-long speeches breaking into every TV station to do it - to get people to just show up at the polls? I was in Venezuela for that poll and it was a whole hell of a lot less than 15% by the way, based on what I saw with my own eyes. Only people who were forced to vote voted.

I think the polls consistently misread Chavez's level of popularity, which, with coffee, flour, meat, and other shortages, with the bridge to the airport being out, with multiple highways being in a state of collapse, with inflation killing everyone's salary, with NO jobs being created, with investment fleeing the country, with kidnapping at an all time high, with garbage all over the place, and with people waiting in line for government checks for more than 24 hours on the dangerous streets of Caracas and other cities (again, something I witnessed) and the real numbers are a whole hell of a lot lower than 62%. This polling agency, I have been watching it for years - is often wrong because the nature of polling is very imprecise in Venezuela. One other factor no one mentions: Intimidation. Why should any shantytown dweller tell what he really thinks to some pollster? What does he have to gain from it? There is a growing climate of fear in Venezuela, so the 62% is more than likely inflated. People are afraid there, really afraid.

Another nitpicky detail: Just because Datanalisis says 55% would like an alternative to Chavez does not mean that 45% approve of him. Again, I think the number is lower, mainly due to the fear factor and to other phenomenons there such as 'ni-ni-ism' - people who don't want anyone at all because they have been so betrayed by government. That DEFINITELY doesn't translate into love for Chavez, not by a long shot.

Rangel's a charlatan and nothing he says is believable. Venezuelans have known this for a long time. He's a former bank robber and once bought a side by side vacation home next door to Carlos the Jackal. That's the kind of guy he is, a character straight out of the bar scene of Star Wars. Which reminds me: his Internet handle is ... I kid you not .... Martian.

cheers.

Perhaps what is being said are marching orders. In otherwords even this early in the game orders are tthat Chavez is to win with 77% of the vote. Which of course means there will be cheating for certain this time too.

And of course Jimmy Carter will be back to santified the faked results

I agree - there is something incredibly charlatanish about this freak spewing fake polling numbers. Remember: 82% of Venezuelans abstained in the congressional elections in december, so that includes the chavista political 'base.' Chavez begged and cajoled them to vote and they ... didn't do it.

Can you imagine dick cheney announcing bush's poll numbers as 'proof' of his righteousness? It just goes to show how hollow and desperate the chavistas are. they really suck.

By the way, I notice the Venezuelan newspapers are having as much fun as Ventanita is with this - I think they see it as she does.