Let’s Rewrite A Headline, Shall We?
Let's do what the AP does and rewrite headlines to reflect certain points of view, shall we? Just as an exercise, of course. Rasmussen Reports has the following shouting headline:
Pelosi: 43% Have Favorable Opinion of New House Speaker
Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans have a favorable opinion concerning the nation’s new Speaker of the House. The first woman to serve in that role, Nancy Pelosi (D) earns favorable reviews from 45% of women and 41% of men. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 800 Likely Voters found that, overall, 39% have an unfavorable opinion of the Speaker.
Very Favorable 18%
Somewhat Favorable 25%
Somewhat Unfavorable 14%
Very Unfavorable 25%
Impressive, no? Let's take a look at something else Rasmussen has up today, shall we?
The President’s Job Approval Ratings have bounced up slightly in the first week of the New Year. Today, 45% of Americans say they at least Somewhat Approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role. That's the highest approval rating the President has received since early November.
Strongly Approve 22%
Somewhat Approve 23%
strongly Disapprove 37%
Somewhat Disapprove 17%
So, if we follow the normal AP Handy-Dandy Skewed Headline Writers Guide© and apply the same fine standards evenly, the first headline should read:
Pelosi Less Popular Than Anyone In The Whole Wide World
Well, that's what the guidebook says. Honest.
By Robert, Saturday, 6 January , 2007 @ 11:41 am
Bush’s DISAPPROVAL rate is much higher than Pelosi’s. So I guess the headline should really read, “Americans Loathe Bush Far More Than Pelosi.”