Poll This!
Poll results often attract the interest of people because we like to keep score. In fact, that’s why so much of news coverage seems like sports coverage. People like to know who’s winning – preferably their side – and who’s losing. We tend to eschew the details and be more interested just in which side has come out on top.
One problem with poll results is that they may have been produced incorrectly, especially if commissioned by a group with an interest in a particular result. Polling organizations with any sense of pride – and there are a number of them – refuse to bend over for a client who is pushing for propaganda.
Sometimes poll questions are simply badly written, albeit with proper intentions. I recall a Gallup poll that asked something like, "Do you support President Bush’s choice, Robert Bork, for the Supreme Court?" The problem with that is putting the president’s imprimatur on the nominee. If Bush’s name hadn’t been in the question – with Bork as his choice – the numbers would have been minus 20 points.
That said, when polls show dramatic results, the grain of salt with which they might normally be taken can be smaller to the point of insignificance. For instance, opposition to staying in Iraq was in the 70 percentile a few years ago. As regards health care, 83% of Americans supported a public option. Those are huge majorities.
Now a poll says that 87% of us believe that big money donors are calling the shots. Well yeah, you might say, and the other 13% are either big money donors, the recipients of their largesse or complete idiots.
This question has been asked before but never have the numbers been this high.
Democratic congressional leaders are fearful of a move toward public financing, which was the issue behind this poll. Their afraid of anything but the status quo.
Here’s a poll question: who favors throwing out the whole Congress?
©2010 SetonnoteS
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