Here is the perfect example of why it is silly to give crediblity to these polls. Keep this in mind before attacking me,  Clinton Leads Pack on First Day Out as 2008 Candidate . Here is the link to the PDF version of the latest poll.  I will just list the questions.  Please tell me what you find wrong with the questions asked vs the way the poll is being reported in the media:

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job

as president? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling (ITEM)?

a. The situation in Iraq

b. The US campaign against terrorism

c. The economy

d. Global warming

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way (ITEM)?

a. The U.S. Congress is doing its job

b. Nancy Pelosi is handling her job as Speaker of the House (Compare to: Newt Gingrich)

4. Do you think things in this country (are generally going in the right direction) or do you feel things (have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track)?

5. What would you say is the one most important problem you would like to see Bush and the Congress deal with this year?

Iraq/War in Iraq

Economy

Health care

Immigration

Terrorism/War on terrorism/

Homeland security

Education

Medicare

Social Security

Jobs/Unemployment

Taxes

Gasoline prices/Energy prices

Federal budget deficit

Environment

Poverty/Homelessness/Hunger

Ethics/Honesty/Corruption in Government 

Crime/drugs 

Prescription drug benefits 1 

Global warming/Greenhouse effect

6. Do you think the country should go in the direction (Bush wants to lead it), go in the direction (the Democrats in Congress want to lead it), or what?

7. Who do you trust to do a better job handling (ITEM), (Bush) or (the Democrats in Congress)?

a. The situation in Iraq 

b. The U.S. campaign against terrorism 

c. The economy 

d. The federal budget 

8. Who do you think is taking a stronger leadership role in the government in Washington these days, (Bush) or (the Democrats in Congress)?

9. Please tell me whether the following statement applies to Bush or not.

a. He is honest and trustworthy 

b. He understands the problems of people like you 

c. He is an effective leader 

d. He is a strong leader 

e. He can be trusted in a crisis 

f. He is willing to listen to different points of view 

g. He has made the country safer and more secure 

*Items a-c asked of half sample, d-g asked of other half sample.

10. Considering everything, do you think the United States did the right thing in going to war with Iraq, or do you think it was a mistake?

Serbia:

Compare to: Do you think the United States made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan, or not?

Yugoslavia*

Persian Gulf*

Vietnam*

Korea*

*Gallup; various wordings

11. Do you think (the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored there, even if that means continued U.S. military casualties); OR, do you think (the United States should withdraw its military forces from Iraq in order to avoid further U.S. military casualties, even if that means civil order is not restored there)?

12. Do you think the Bush Administration does or does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq?

13. Do you support or oppose Bush’s proposal to send approximately 22,000 additional U.S. military forces to Iraq?

14. Do you think Congress should or should not try to block Bush’s plan to send more troops to Iraq?

Compare to: Do you think the Democrats in Congress should or should not try to block Bush’s plan to send more troops to Iraq?

15. (ASKED OF HALF SAMPLE) Do you think the war with Iraq has or has not(ITEM)?

a. Contributed to long-term peace and stability in the Mideast 28 9 19 68 4

b. Encouraged democracy in other Arab nations 

c. Helped to improve the lives of the Iraqi people 

16. (ASKED OF HALF SAMPLE) In the long term, do you think the war with Iraq will or will not (ITEM)?

a. Contribute to long-term peace and stability in the Mideast 

b. Encourage democracy in other Arab nations 

c. Help to improve the lives of the Iraqi people 

17. Do you think the war in Iraq has or has not made it more difficult for the U.S. military to be ready to respond to conflicts elsewhere in the world?

18. (IF MORE DIFFICULT, Q17) Do you think that’s a major problem or a minor problem?

19. Which of these do you think is the better way to address the problems in  Iraq – (through diplomatic and political efforts), or (through military efforts)?

20. Which of these do you think Bush is focusing on more in Iraq – (diplomatic and political efforts), or (military efforts)?

21. All told, do you think the United States will win or lose the war in Iraq?

22. Now, thinking about Iran: In dealing with Iran, do you think the Bush administration is being too confrontational, not confrontational enough, or handling it about right?

30. On another subject: Do you support or oppose embryonic (EMBRY-onick) stem cell research?

31. Do you support or oppose loosening the current restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?

32. Would you support or oppose raising the minimum wage, which is now five dollars and fifteen cents an hour, to seven dollars and twenty-five cents an hour?

33. (IF SUPPORT, Q32) (Is seven twenty-five enough), or (should the minimum wage be higher than that)?

34. Some people say the Medicare program should be allowed to negotiate with drug companies to get better prices for prescription drugs for senior citizens. Others say this would give the government too much of a role in the marketplaceand prevent drug companies from making the profits they need to develop new drugs. Do you think the Medicare program should or should not be allowed to negotiate prices with drug companies?

35. Would you support or oppose establishing a permanent, independent commission to investigate and enforce ethics rules for members of Congress and their staffs?

36. How concerned are you about the issue of global warming – is that something that worries you a great deal, a good amount, just some, or hardly at all?

 

5 Responses to “Another Misleading WaPo-ABC News Poll”

1. Super Lib
   January 22, 2007 - 03:56 PM on January 22nd, 2007

   Well the fact that Sen. Clinton’s name does not appear in any of the questions doesn’t mean anything! We all know that she is the leader for solving many of the problems the poll question addressed. So the responses to those questions can of course be interpreted to be pro-Clinton, much as it was completely reasonable to interpret hanging chads, dimpled chads, etc. as intended votes for Al Gore during the 2000 election (which Gore actually won!).

2. Super Lib
   January 22, 2007 - 04:05 PM on January 22nd, 2007

   I looked through these questions again, and there are so many important issues. But the one that stands out for, as a Liberal, is Global Warming. I’m not saying that Bush is causing Global Warming, but the right-wing wants to just keep on burning fossil fuels and generating more greenhouse gases and will not do anything to stop Global Warming!

   It is time to promulgate new regulations to stop this! Adopt the Kyoto protocols immediately! BAN SUVs!!! Stop all of these foolish people from driving their cars all over! (wealthy Liberals exempted, of course :wink

   Tax, tax, tax, and tax again every molecule of CO2 emitted until no one can afford to generate CO2!!! Then, it will stop!!!

   I almost forgot: Immediately reinstate Al Gore to his rightful role as President! Al Gore knows what to do, how to save the planet! He is an expert!!!

3. Susanna Harriff
   January 22, 2007 - 04:07 PM on January 22nd, 2007

   To SuperLib: Huh?

4. Super Lib
   January 22, 2007 - 04:23 PM on January 22nd, 2007

   Since I am the only Liberal online here right now, I thought I would answer these questions for the Liberal side. I know I speak for the Liberals becaus emnay of these are well covered on talking points faxes:

   1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?

   Are you kidding?

   2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling (ITEM)?

   a. The situation in Iraq: A quagmire! We must cut and run!!!

   b. The US campaign against terrorism: It is long past the time to abandon this! Resistance is futile! Violence only begets more violence!

   c. The economy: It was much better under Clinton. We had Peace & prosperity!

   d. Global warming: Bush isn’t directly causing it, but indirectly uh-huh!

   3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way (ITEM)?

   a. The U.S. Congress is doing its job: Democratic: Wonderful. Republican: Bad!!!

   b. Nancy Pelosi is handling her job as Speaker of the House (Compare to: Newt Gingrich): We Luv Nancy!!! We despise the Gingrinch!

   4. Do you think things in this country (are generally going in the right direction) or do you feel things (have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track)? They are way off track. We need the democrats to get us back on the road to more taxes! We will tax our way to prosperity! Clinton had a huge tax increase and look at what resulted: Unprecedented prosperity for all!

   5. What would you say is the one most important problem you would like to see Bush and the Congress deal with this year?

   Iraq/War in Iraq; Cut and run now!

   Economy: Tax, tax, and tax some more!

   Health care: Free for all! Tax the rich to pay for it!

   Immigration: They just want to work! They do jobs Americans won’t do!

   Terrorism/War on terrorism/ Stoip it! Get fitted for a burqua!

   Homeland security: A joke. We need security against the Neocons!

   Education: Destroy the last vestiges of private schools (except those for rich Liberals). Make everyone else go to the Gov’t schools, were they can be properly indoctri-I mean, educated.

   Medicare: Free for all except rich Republicans.

   Social Security: Bring all under the umbrella, illegals, criminals, drug addicts, AIDS victims.

   Jobs/Unemployment: Bring in more undocumented workers!

   Taxes: We need to raise them a lot!

   Gasoline prices/Energy prices: ALL GWB’s fault!

   Federal budget deficit: End deficit spending for anything but welfare programs!

   Environment: Don’ty get me started. Let’s just say appoint Al Gore as Environmental Guru for the planet!

   Poverty/Homelessness/Hunger: All made worse by rich, greedy Republicans, who won’t pay more in taxes to end it. Rich Democrats are trying to help, by taking more of other people’s money to do so!

   Ethics/Honesty/Corruption in Government: Nancy Pelosi has promised the most ethical Congress in history and is doing just as well as the Clinton administration in that regard!

   Crime/drugs: Crime is defined as what rich Republicans do to the people by trying to stop partial-birth abortion, which we just love! Drugs should be free for all!

   6. Do you think the country should go in the direction (Bush wants to lead it), go in the direction (the Democrats in Congress want to lead it), or what? It needs to go in the Liberal/Leftist direction!

   7. Who do you trust to do a better job handling (ITEM), (Bush) or (the Democrats in Congress)?

   OF COURSE THE DEMOCRATS! They will save us!

5. snowy egret
   January 22, 2007 - 10:41 PM on January 22nd, 2007

   So who can ever trusta poll taken by the AWFUL BROADCASTING COMPANY?:razz: