Most people pay some attention to polls and surveys. If you want to make and sell a product or service, it makes a lot of sense to find out if there are any people out there who want to buy what you want to sell. And if you’re already in business, it’s wise to know how people regard your product.
It seems to me, though, that there is something disingenuous about the way politicians and elitists try to manipulate polls to create an impression that there’s a ground swell of public support for a position or candidate. Surveys and polls are tools. But they are not perfect. That’s why they always include a statistical level of error (+/-). And anyone who’s ever actually met and spoken with a pollster knows, “…if you let me phrase the proposition, I can practically guarantee any answer I want.” So a jaundiced eye is always a good ally when evaluating poll and survey results.
Recently I read an account which mentioned some interesting data extracted from the Gallup organization’s annual update about America’s confidence in various institutions.
In this year’s poll (2007), the highest level of confidence went (again) to the U.S. military (for the 10th year in a row). The next closest group in which the people have confidence is small business, 10 points behind, and the police 15 points behind.
The President was much lower (which the opposing party loves to quote), but far lower in public esteem is the Congress with a confidence rating of 14%!!! …which means, if you think about it, that 86% of Americans have little or no confidence in our elected representatives! You would think that this resounding, bi-partisan vote of ‘no confidence’ might actually inspire leaders of both parties to get some of the truly important legislation passed in a fair and balanced way. This, however, seems unlikely.
Also significant is the finding that 34 percent of Americans mention Iraq as the nation’s top problem – significantly greater that any other issue. But again, it also means that for 66 percent of Americans, Iraq is NOT the nation’s most pressing problem – something you would not know by watching the news, reading the major papers and journals, or listening to the politicians of the congressional majority!
If we fail to think about things, we may be given impressions of reality which have been distorted for partisan purposes.
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2 comments:
Not much of a shocker that Congress rates below the Prez given the histronics and absolutely irrational front they're presenting since taking power:
- Illegals are not illegal
- Divulging the intel budgets
- Crippling defense budgets and absolute naive approach to distancing themselves from their Iraq votes
- Announcing willingness to invade Pakistan in hot pursuit
Scary...one could almost envision Mme. Cindy Sheehan winning against Mme. Speaker, and that being an improvement.
I would think the low poll opinion of the congress is tied to its failure to fix the cogressional ethics issues. Abuses which the dominant Republican Congress was caught up in were not cleaned up by the Democrats whom we can only presume are awaiting their chance at the public's treasury. Congress is reluctant to give up any incumbent advantages. Only an outpouring of voter anger will reverse this.Write your congressman!
Erich B
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