Poll As Hit Piece
If this poll reported by CNN did, indeed, ask the question as worded in the article, this is the most blatantly ridiculous poll I have ever even heard of. According to the story, the poll asked whether people thought the mission in Iraq had been accomplished. It states 9% said yes, another 40% said not yet, but it would be.
Well, duh.
Of course the damned mission is not fully accomplished yet. They dishonestly bring up the speech made on the USS Abraham Lincoln where Bush declared the end to major combat operations. Calling it his "Mission Accomplished" speech. Note the use of quotes, since they know darn well they are being dishonest about the speech. That old canard has been flogged to death.
That question is specifically designed to provide a low numeric answer. Dishonest polling at it's best. Or worst.
By Black Jack, May 1, 2006 @ 12:36 pm
Bogus polls have become the norm. Henceforth the “reasonable doubt” standard must be applied.
All Polls are to be taken as dishonest efforts to sway public opinion, unless clear and persuading evidence to the contrary is provided. Such evidence must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that sincere and effective efforts have been employed to elicit accurate, reliable, and representative information.
The Society for Accuracy in Polling will maintain a list of certified pollsters. Any poll not conducted by a certified pollster, and/or using techniques not approved under the Society’s Handbook of Standards and Accepted Practices falls outside the limits of recognized public inquiry. Such unauthorized polls should be dismissed or ignored without prejudice.
By Black Jack, May 1, 2006 @ 1:47 pm
Gaius said, “…media who routinely diss the blogosphere have got to be rather surprised at the average demographic…”
Yes, but, I suspect surprise at the demographic is only one facit of the problem MSM faces. Not only are the survey results incomplete and slanted toward lefty responders, they consequently under report important demographic characteristics for the sane side of the bolgosphere. Most conservatives are too smart to waste time taking silly surveys.
A clear example of inaccuracy is the notion that Lefty readers are slightly better educated. It seems wide of the mark. Judging from the comments Lefties make, it’s possible to conclude that while they may have spent more time in public schools, it is also true that’s a far cry from being better educated. Which, of course, highlights the problem.
Copeland illustrates the essential error. He lets number of years in school stand for “better educated,” and it just ain’t necessarily so. He’s confused quantity for quality. Had Copeland confined himself to the facts available, he could only have said that Lefty readers self reported they spent more time in school.
Whether they are better educated as a result, or simply slow learners is open to further inquiry.
In any case, the whole matter is a clear violation of the rules listed in the Society for Accuracy in Polling’s Handbook for SAP’s
By Black Jack, May 1, 2006 @ 2:31 pm
My second comment is out of place. It belongs under “Washington Post On Blogads Survey.” Sorry for the error, I seem to be on a roll.
By Gauis Arbo, May 1, 2006 @ 2:33 pm
Easy to do isn’t it?