Polling Nonsense

 

Pollsters take samples of opinions on a variety of subjects.  Some seek the views of respondents as to personal preferences on food choices (what is your favorite ketchup brand?) while the same people may be asked their views on public policy.  The survey results based on the answers of a few hundred up to a thousand are then extrapolated and publicized to reflect “what Americans think”.

Unfortunately, while knowing the personal taste preferences of Americans  is valuable information for the food industry – people do know their tastebuds- there is usually little merit in recording the opinions of Americans about issues about which they are likely to know nothing.  Their uneducated views are nonsense. 

Take polling results on the public’s view of the recently approved “American Rescue Plan” (promoted by Democrats as Covid-19 relief):  75% approve, 18% do not.  Even more than 60% of Republicans like it.

But why?  How many know that of the $1.9 trillion to be spent, less than 10% is aimed at fighting the pandemic?  The rest is devoted to funding projects on the Left’s wish list, such as more money for abortion, a family leave policy for federal workers and Obamacare.

Few could have known.  And that’s not the fault of the respondents.  After all, how many members of Congress had actually read the 100,000 word bill before voting on it?  And knowing what they were voting on was supposed to be their job!

[It was déjà vu.  Remember 2009 when Nancy Pelowi said Congress needed to vote for Obamacare to find out what was in it?  Give the devil her due – she’s done it again!]

Bluntly, the public’s support can only be based on the publicity for the “Rescue Plan”.  Who can oppose that?  And, of course, the liberal media focused on the 7% that actually was directed toward alleviating and fighting Covid-19.

The truth of the matter is that the public doesn’t pay attention to the details of public policy – nor does it care to.  Americans would rather focus on their personal lives and interests.  Anyway, the people’s representatives are elected to office to deal with affairs of state (formally, America’s government is a republic, not a “democracy”).

So, for most Americans viewing the doings of government, their attention span is brief and their knowledge is superficial.

Judgments are based on labels.   Again, as an illustration:  Covid Relief, Rescue Plan.  Sounds good, so it must be, right?

Or, on a broader note, liberals have increasingly chosen to self-identify their leftist policies as “progressive”.  Who opposes progress?  Smart politics but false labeling (unless society’s betterment is based on increased taxes, reduction of individual liberty and PC policies).

Note:  Considering the impact of favorably labeling on public opinion, it is baffling to The Sensible Conservative that such stalwarts of conservative orthodoxy as Fox News use “progressive” when referring to foes on the Left.