Real Polls Vs. Fake Polls
A couple weeks ago, new polls started showing up. The first, from CBS (like these guys are reputable) showed that the president's approval ratings had virtually hit rock bottom as they hovered in the high 30's. Then, CNN came out with one showing him around 34%. Within a few days, USA Today, The New York Times, and other outlets showed he was also in the 30's, and usually hovering in the mid-range of them.
Today, actually yesterday, there was this from Rasmussen:
Forty-two percent (42%) of American adults now approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. That's just two points above the lowest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) disapprove.
The President earns approval from 44% of men and 40% of women.
That seems to be a far cry from the 34-36% the MSM was putting out there. Furthermore, Rasmussen has a much better track record of accurately predicting the current political landscape, as Captain Ed Morrissey points out concisely.
How accurate is the Rasmussen poll? In 2004, they predicted a Bush victory in the popular vote by 50.2% to Kerry's 48.5%. The final numbers tallied to 50.7%/48.3%, an extraordinarily close result. Rasmussen uses an automated, digitally-recorded voice for asking their questions, ensuring that all respondents hear the same question in the exact same manner, eliminating the variables that come from using boiler-room telemarketing for their polling.
Being in the 40's is not great, as he also points out, but it is far better than where the MSM is spinning the president to be at. And that is all their polls really are. It is spin. It is the media's attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the voter using skewed polling questions, and innuendo. The question regarding the NSA terrorist surveillance program is a prime example of this. They MSM asks the question of "Do you approve or disapprove of the president's 'wiretapping program?'" First, it is not wiretapping. Wiretapping, when injected into the question, leads the person answering to believe the president is tapping phones on common citizens. That is not what the program does, yet the media makes no distinction. It is a part of their "agenda journalism."
Rasmussen polling is far better than many of the polling groups out there, including Zogby. Remember that Zogby recently issued results of a skewed poll they supposedly conducted with our troops. Zogby, unlike Rasmussen, refused to release any demographics or details. When Zogby finally did, the demographics proved nothing. And, we should keep in mind that Zogby originally called the 2004 election for Kerry by such a wide margin that some people were disheartened about even voting. Kerry, using the Zogby paint-by-numbers scheme--was going to win in a landslide. In the end, Zogby was worng, and Rasmussen was right.
In short, we should not even be hanging our hat by polling data to begin with. Whether they are Rasmussen polls or Zogby, CNN, CBS, or USA Today, the numbers mean nothing. What matters is who put whom in the White House and in Congress. For the next two years President Bush will remain in office. When 2006 is done, the GOP will still have control of the House, if not the Senate, as well. Will the media go out on election night, and procalim the country had yet another "temper-tantrum" when the GOP come home winners? Only time will tell.
The Bunny ;)
A couple weeks ago, new polls started showing up. The first, from CBS (like these guys are reputable) showed that the president's approval ratings had virtually hit rock bottom as they hovered in the high 30's. Then, CNN came out with one showing him around 34%. Within a few days, USA Today, The New York Times, and other outlets showed he was also in the 30's, and usually hovering in the mid-range of them.
Today, actually yesterday, there was this from Rasmussen:
Forty-two percent (42%) of American adults now approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. That's just two points above the lowest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) disapprove.
The President earns approval from 44% of men and 40% of women.
That seems to be a far cry from the 34-36% the MSM was putting out there. Furthermore, Rasmussen has a much better track record of accurately predicting the current political landscape, as Captain Ed Morrissey points out concisely.
How accurate is the Rasmussen poll? In 2004, they predicted a Bush victory in the popular vote by 50.2% to Kerry's 48.5%. The final numbers tallied to 50.7%/48.3%, an extraordinarily close result. Rasmussen uses an automated, digitally-recorded voice for asking their questions, ensuring that all respondents hear the same question in the exact same manner, eliminating the variables that come from using boiler-room telemarketing for their polling.
Being in the 40's is not great, as he also points out, but it is far better than where the MSM is spinning the president to be at. And that is all their polls really are. It is spin. It is the media's attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the voter using skewed polling questions, and innuendo. The question regarding the NSA terrorist surveillance program is a prime example of this. They MSM asks the question of "Do you approve or disapprove of the president's 'wiretapping program?'" First, it is not wiretapping. Wiretapping, when injected into the question, leads the person answering to believe the president is tapping phones on common citizens. That is not what the program does, yet the media makes no distinction. It is a part of their "agenda journalism."
Rasmussen polling is far better than many of the polling groups out there, including Zogby. Remember that Zogby recently issued results of a skewed poll they supposedly conducted with our troops. Zogby, unlike Rasmussen, refused to release any demographics or details. When Zogby finally did, the demographics proved nothing. And, we should keep in mind that Zogby originally called the 2004 election for Kerry by such a wide margin that some people were disheartened about even voting. Kerry, using the Zogby paint-by-numbers scheme--was going to win in a landslide. In the end, Zogby was worng, and Rasmussen was right.
In short, we should not even be hanging our hat by polling data to begin with. Whether they are Rasmussen polls or Zogby, CNN, CBS, or USA Today, the numbers mean nothing. What matters is who put whom in the White House and in Congress. For the next two years President Bush will remain in office. When 2006 is done, the GOP will still have control of the House, if not the Senate, as well. Will the media go out on election night, and procalim the country had yet another "temper-tantrum" when the GOP come home winners? Only time will tell.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 12:54 AM
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