About Those Obama Poll Numbers

I have been watching the reports on Obama’s poll numbers concerning his first 100 days in office. It is obvious that the MSM is in the tank for this guy and will skew anything to make him look good. Even commenters here will spew all these poll numbers and act as if Obama is the king of the polls. There are several problems with the way the polling is used and the MSM is using numbers to make a strong case.

I have read that Obama’s approval rating was anywhere from 56% to 65% depending upon the poll. The higher numbers are generally used by the MSM and then when they compare the number to past presidents they use lower ones, especially when they are comparing George W. Bush. The other issue is that the MSM is using one poll to depict Obama and then using a poll from another polling company to show the others.

There is no doubt that Obama is popular among Democrats as he received a 79% approval from them. One major media omitted the among Democrats part.

Pew Research says Obama is at 63% while Bush was at 56%. Not very far apart especially considering the problem with the 2000 election. Interestingly, CNN/USA/Gallup had a poll showing Bush at 62%. This is the same Gallup poll that shows Obama at 56%. In fact, while the MSM is trying to make Obama out to be a polling giant, Gallup shows this:

April approval ratings in first year in office

  • Bush now 62%
  • Clinton, 1993 55
  • Bush, 1989 58
  • Reagan, 1981 67
  • Carter, 1977 63
  • Nixon, 1969 61

Sampling error: +/-3% pts

I don’t know why Gallup has Obama lower than the other polls but as some folks dig deeper into polls they are finding a disturbing little trend. Democrats are being polled at a much higher rate than Republicans. This means the polls are weighted toward Democrats (in one poll by a 2:1 margin). The polls do not reflect how the country is currently comprised because Republicans are underrepresented. This is how polls get skewed in order to give the results that one wants rather than what is real.

I know my liberal friends will stop by and defend the polls, will say that it is a wingnut conspiracy, and will dismiss the criticisms.

That is all well and good. I know the MSM needs Obama to be successful even if it is only on paper. They needed to come out and show that he had a larger approval rating than others (Gallup says it isn’t so) and they needed to show that they were right in getting him elected. Chrissie Matthews is not the only one who feels it is his duty to make this guy successful. Well, they can make him LOOK successful but the proof will be in what happens.

One major catastrophe, the inflation that will inevitably arrive, a nuclear Iran, North Korea, and any number of other issues, and the MSM will not be able to show it in a favorable light. Let a terrorist detonate a bomb (particularly a radioactive one) in any major city and all bets will be off. It would be terrible if that happened but wouldn’t it be ironic if after, a captive terrorist says he knew about it and would have fessed up if water boarded?

The bottom line is that one should take most of these polls with a grain of salt. I have never been a big poll watcher because the pollsters often have very different results and their sampling methods and questions are designed to get a result.

Rely on what you see and know. Are you better off? Are you making more money? Does your money go as far as it did before? Are you paying more in lesser known taxes?

Take the time to make an honest assessment of things based on your values and your judgment. You have a better understanding of your life than a pollster does.

As for Obama’s numbers. There is no doubt he remains popular. His approval rating is high or low depending upon who you ask (as it would be for any past White House occupant) and time will tell if what he is doing was good or bad.

Those of us who have seen this before know the answer and we don’t need a poll for that.

Related:
MSNBC

Big Dog

[tip]If you enjoy what you read consider signing up to receive email notification of new posts. There are several options in the sidebar and I am sure you can find one that suits you. If you prefer, consider adding this site to your favorite feed reader. If you receive emails and wish to stop them follow the instructions included in the email.[/tip]