How well informed are the American people about the JFK assassination

[John Corbett]

In the early days/weeks after the assassination the majority of Americans polled believed there was a conspiracy. This is before any investigation other than the DPD was done.

People simply want to believe - or have to - that it was more. Great events need a great cause and one man with a rifle can't be it.

I think what drove conspiracy belief in the early days more than anything was Jack Ruby's killing of Oswald. That just seemed too convenient to many people and it is quite understandable why that would have made people assume it was part of a conspiracy to silence Oswald. The JFKA happened 6 days before my 12th birthday and it was the first time I remember hearing the word conspiracy. It didn't matter that no evidence ever emerged that Jack Ruby was part of a conspiracy. People already had that mindset so it was quite easy for them to be convinced that their early beliefs were in fact correct. I think conspiracy theories would have still emerged but I'm not sure they would have taken hold as much as they did.

[John Corbett]

I like how they included notable events surrounding the assassination along with the poll numbers. The latest numbers show a uptick - from ~60% to ~65% - with most of the increase driven by self-identified Republican voters. It appears to be the "the Deep State got JFK like they tried to get Trump" view. Silly.

I hadn't seen the 2023 poll until now. The latest one I can remember was taken sometime in the previous decade. I think you might be right that the uptick in conspiracy belief is driven largely by Republicans. I know one of the most vociferous believers in conspiracy is Fox News host Jesse Watters. He is convinced it was the CIA that took out JFK. There are conspiracy believers all across the political spectrum. The only difference between the left and the right seems to be whom they want to blame.

[Michael T. Griffith]

Yes, of course. Since the substantial majority of Americans, and also Europeans, reject the lone-gunman theory, well, you know, they just must not know the facts; they must not be informed enough about the case; etc., etc.

Uh-huh. It just can't be that they recognize the lone-gunman theory for what it is: an untenable, implausible theory that was cooked up by a government commission in 1964 to placate the public, whose key findings were rejected by a congressional select committee in 1979, and whose key findings were utterly demolished by previously sealed documents that were released by a federal records review board in the 1990s.

[John Corbett]

Yes, of course. Since the substantial majority of Americans, and also Europeans, reject the lone-gunman theory, well, you know, they just must not know the facts; they must not be informed enough about the case; etc., etc.

Uh-huh. It just can't be that they recognize the lone-gunman theory for what it is: an untenable, implausible theory that was cooked up by a government commission in 1964 to placate the public, whose key findings were rejected by a congressional select committee in 1979, and whose key findings were utterly demolished by previously sealed documents that were released by a federal records review board in the 1990s.

If you doubt the vast majority of Americans are woefully uninformed about the JFKA, then it is you who is truly uninformed. In the rare circumstance when the JFKA comes up in conversation outside of online JFKA forums, most of the people I have talked to about it seem to have gotten most if not all their information from Oliver Stone's BS movie. I remember walking out of the theater and overhearing people saying things like, "It's hard to argue with".

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Yes, of course. Since the substantial majority of Americans, and also Europeans, reject the lone-gunman theory, well, you know, they just must not know the facts; they must not be informed enough about the case; etc., etc.

Uh-huh. It just can't be that they recognize the lone-gunman theory for what it is: an untenable, implausible theory that was cooked up by a government commission in 1964 to placate the public, whose key findings were rejected by a congressional select committee in 1979, and whose key findings were utterly demolished by previously sealed documents that were released by a federal records review board in the 1990s.

Where does one find these polls on "Europeans"?

Once again, the HSCA said that Oswald fired the shots that killed JFK (you don't believe that) and that:



"Probably" a conspiracy is not demolishing the lone assassin theory. You don't believe "probably" either. And they said they couldn't determine who the conspirators were. You also don't believe that. The BYP are authentic, the X-rays and autopsy photos real and on and on and on.....None of which you believe.

It's amazing how you promote conspiracy beliefs like the HSCA that contradict your other stated beliefs. And then promote another set that contradict those. You explanation is a mish mash of theories that are all at odds with each other and change every other day. You don't make any sense even if you believe "the Europeans" say so.

[John Corbett]

Where does one find these polls on "Europeans"?

Once again, the HSCA said that Oswald fired the shots that killed JFK (you don't believe that) and that:



"Probably" a conspiracy is not demolishing the lone assassin theory. You don't believe "probably" either.

It's amazing how you promote conspiracy beliefs like the HSCA that contradict your other stated beliefs. And then promote another set that contradict those. You explanation is a mish mash of theories that are all at odds with each other. You don't make any sense even if "the Europeans" say so.

One recent example of MTG's duplicity is his endorsement of the HSCA's acoustical evidence that indicated a missed shot was fired from the GK, but then he turns around and tells us that shot didn't miss but hit JFK in the throat.

I wonder if MTG is also a proponent of the headshot coming from the front. That would be interesting given he supports the acoustics panel which concluded only one shot was fired from the GK and three were fired from the TSBD.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

About three years old but I don't think it would be much different today.