"It profits me but little that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquillity of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life."

--Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Another Day, Another MSM Push Poll

The mainstream media is carrying heavy water for the Obama administration, both through what it chooses to cover and how it chooses to poll.   It's almost as if they want the storyline to be that Romney isn't gaining traction against Obama, or that Obama continues to lead. 

By way of example, here is a Reuters poll today, which shows Obama with a seven point lead over Romney, 49-42.   But dig deeper... it's not a poll of likely voters, or even a  poll of registered voters (which skews Democratic), but a poll of all adults (which historically has always had an even bigger Democratic skew).   And it's sampling is D+5, with 47 percent Democrats and 42 percent Republicans, i.e., almost as much of a Democratic turnout weight as in the 2008 "hope and change" election.   I don't buy it, and no one else should, but there will be people out there, low-information voters, who will read the headline and figure that Obama is "winning."   People like to be on the winning team, so poll like this "push" voters to move to the winning side.   Hence, it's a push poll.

Again, always look for polls of likely voters that have a relatively even split between Democrats and Republicans -- that's the gold standard for polls.   Those polls (like Rasmussen) have consistently shown an even race, or a slight Romney lead.  

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