The trouble with tribbles--- er, I mean polls

I don’t trust the various news polls.  I mean, how do you ask 1000 people something and then say this represents the whole of America which has a total population of 360,000,000 give or take?  You can’t and it’s Becktarded to think so. 

However last week a new AP poll came out which pundits and newspapers from east coast to west said proved that the Democrats were doomed in the upcoming election and that Republicans were the cat’s meow with voters. 

Well, being the person I am, I had to see these poll results for myself and came away baffled.  Were the jabber jawing bobble heads reading the same poll I was?  They claimed they were but it couldn’t be.  Here’s a few examples of what I mean:

1) 38% of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction  this is actually pretty average but it is up from the 17% it was in the last few months of the Bush administration.

2) The Democratic Congress approval rating is only 36%  While this is true, it is out of context and incredibly misleading given there is a +/- 3.3 % margin of error.  In context the Republican Congress approval rating was 21% as of 2006.  In fact, according to a Gallup Poll last year (http://www.gallup.com/poll/116530/Approval-Congress-Hits-Four-Year-High-Fueled-Dems.aspx) the Democratic approval rating was at 39%, the highest point it had been in 4 years!   So if we add in our margin for error in this poll the 39% approval rating is exactly as it has been since 2009 when it peaked!  By comparison, when asked how the Republicans in Congress was doing these days, they only managed 29%! 

If we spin the polls as they do, we could easily claim it’s only 26%, a meager 5 points better than in 2006

3) The American voter is angry Sort of.  It’s actually 50-50.  More people were disappointed (81%) and frustrated (84%) yet hopeful (64%)

4)  Republicans have a commanding lead over Democrats  No, they don’t.  Asked about a generic Democrats v. Republican ballot, Dems come out with 47% to the GOP’s 46%.  Further while 59% of these said they’d definitely vote for their candidate, a whopping 41% remained uncommitted. 

When asked who they’d rather see run Congress, it was an even split at 45% with 7% saying neither!

Asked if they felt the GOP would be successful if they took one or both houses of Congress, it was 50-50, probably along party lines. 

5)  Favorable v. Unfavorable  When asked if they had a favorable impression of Obama, 57% said yes.  By comparison George Bush received 44%. 

Wondering how Sarah Palin did?  Palin got 47% to Hillary’s 68% and Michelle Obama’s 70%.  Wow.  How did congressional leaders do?  Nancy Pelosi got a low 37%, which still whoops John Boehner’s 30% hands down.  Mitch McConnell narrowly edges Harry Reid 30-28.  The political parties themselves broke even (yet again).

6)  This midterm election is a referendum on Barack Obama   Actually, no, it isn’t.  Public opinion on his job performance is still 50-50 for and against, again, probably along party lines.  When asked the question if Obama would influence their Congressional vote 50% said no, 23% said yes to show support for the President and only 26% said yes! 

7)  Americans want Republicans to repeal health care  Yet another twisted truth.  While 45% of people in this poll are totally opposed to the Democrats health care bill, 40% aren’t with 14% uncommitted. 

In fact when we look a little closer 18% like it as is, 39% wants it to do more, 9% want it to do less and only 32% want it repealed.  4% were uncommitted.  Puts a whole new spin on things doesn’t it?  Take that Boehner!

Who are these people polled?  85% were Christians and 75% were white.  I guess minority voices just aren’t as important, right Arizona?

Finally, and I think the most telling part of the poll, when asked who would win control of Congress 55% said Republicans.  Only 36% said Democrats.  This is revealing given the Democrats have the edge in so many categories.  I may not think much of polls but this particular one speaks to one important truth: The right wing propaganda machine and the conservative mass media sure do know how to manipulate us!