The Washington Post touted a new poll on Tuesday that popular support is increasing for a government-run "public option" health care system – just as liberal Democrats try to push that into the Senate Finance Committee bill. The headline was "Public option gains support: Clear majority now backs plan." So it’s not surprising, as Ed Morrissey found at Hot Air, that the Post is stuffing its poll sample with a few extra Democrats:
The sampling comprises 33% Democrats, as opposed to only 20% Republicans. That thirteen-point spread is two points larger than their September polling, at 32%/21%. More tellingly, it’s significantly larger than their Election Day sample, which included 35% Democrats to 26% Republicans for a gap of nine points, about a third smaller than the gap in this poll. Of course, that’s when they were more concerned about accuracy over political points of view.
The Post’s poll (illustrated by a chart) found respondents favored a public option "to compete with" private insurance by a margin of 57 to 40 percent. But even with the polling sample tilted toward the Democrats, some less favorable findings weren’t in the headline, as Dan Balz and Jon Cohen reported:
Overall, 45 percent of Americans favor the broad outlines of the proposals now moving in Congress, while 48 percent are opposed, about the same division that existed in August, at the height of angry town hall meetings over health-care reform.
Not only that, but what if the public favors liberal reform, but not the means to finance it?
But if there is clear majority support for the public option and the mandate [to buy private insurance], there is broad opposition to one of the major mechanisms proposed to pay for the bill. The Senate Finance Committee suggested taxing the most costly private insurance plans to help offset the costs of extending coverage to millions more people. Sixty-one percent oppose the idea, while 35 percent favor it.
The Post suggested their sample size, with 20 percent of Republicans, is merely a sign of GOP weakness. Morrissey dissented:
Remember when I wrote that poll watchers need to remember the recent Gallup poll on party affiliation? Gallup polled 5,000 adults and found that the gap between Democrats and Republicans had closed to the smallest margin since 2005, six points, and had been reduced more than half since the beginning of the year. [That included leaners toward either party.] For the WaPo/ABC poll, though, their sample gap has increased almost 50% during that time.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
push polling
October 21, 2009 - 06:58 ET by 10ksnookerSomething the lamestream media is good at ... Die old rotten DNC parrot, just rollover and die.
These Clowns
October 21, 2009 - 07:13 ET by GeneralAlThese clowns represent exactly what happens when liberals achieve some success. The get so enamored with themselves that they believe they can dupe a raging bull! They duped many with the Tele-Prompter Messiah but fail to see that these dupees have come to realize that they have been duped!
You slant the poll to the Commiecrats [Most of them are probably on welfare] and reference the declining Republican stats as proof of the poll. Thats the equivalence of polling kids as opposed to adults on rock music! Chances are the kids will like it and the adults won't. Depending which way you want the poll to go, you poll in that direction! Crapola, WaPo! This is no poll! This is propaganda!
As far as less people identifying themselves as Republican, I'm one of those! I'm a Conservative/Libertarian/Independent! The 33% who are Democrats are under under the mark of the beast so they won't change no matter what the case. The 67% on the other side should be sending the Commiecrats to their shrinks for some Prozac!
<sound of duct tape ripping off roll>
October 21, 2009 - 07:23 ET by motherbeltThis is no poll! This is propaganda!
Absolutely right!
This is what Rush began talking about years ago, in the Clinton Presidency. The media go out and do a poll, then they make the poll the story. If the poll doesn't turn out the way they like, no story.
This blatant advocacy, under the guise of "analysis" is a pathetic excuse for what is supposed to be news.
Never in my life have I seen such flagrant cheerleading by the supposed "watchdogs" in the media; nevermind the attempted marginalization and delegitimization of the one outlet which doesn't toe their line loyally.
I'm becoming increasingly disheartened at the state of things.
Not only that, MB, but the
October 21, 2009 - 13:34 ET by ThisnThatNot only that, MB, but the words "Public Option" weren't even included in the poll question. The poll was very vague, and seemed to the respondent like "do you think the health care system needs to be reformed". WAPO turned the results into the false conclusion "Most people support the public option". A clear lie -- the poll said nothing about the public option.
Yet, they get away with this. And the rest of the MSM is in lockstep -- it fits the agenda.
__________
"mmm, mmm, mm. Barrack-Hussain-Øbama↓." - The liberals coolaid drinking song
A quick comparison
October 21, 2009 - 07:13 ET by DaMavGallup, based on nearly 30,000 aggregate surveys a month found in August that the Democrat lead over Republicans was 5%, down from a 17% advantage in January. And that is based on adults, not likely voters. Self identified Republicans were 28%, Democrats 34% -- a gap of 6.
http://www.gallup.co...
Rasmussen, based on ~ 45,000 interviews over a 3 month period has the split at 37.2% Democrats, 32.7% Republicans, and 30.1% unaffiliated updated monthly.
http://www.rasmussen...
Compare the sample sizes to the WaPo's poll and draw your own conclusions. It almost makes you think that the Washington Post is ..umm.. "not a legitimate news organization". :-)
Why the surprise
October 21, 2009 - 07:39 ET by John53I have lived in Washington DC for 20+ years the Compost has been a worthless rag for almost all of that time. The Compost was a liberal propaganda machine before the term became popular, maybe they were in competition with the New York Times as prototype for the concept. You can never expect to depend on the opinions of the Compost as facts, they are merely interpretations of the facts.
This is
October 21, 2009 - 07:52 ET by scotthThis is nothing new. Dig into most if not all of the NYT, WaPo and CBS (they are real bad) polls and you will find the same gap.
Bleet, bleet, bleet
October 21, 2009 - 08:32 ET by nadadhimmiRemember Orwell's "Animal Farm"?, The sheep bleeting 4 legs good, 2 legs BETTER, amd, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others? Well the Wapo and all the msm are exactly as Orwell described. Bleeting sheep repeating the party line. AND THEY THINK WE WILL BELIEVE THEM. Not hardly.
They couldn't care less about public opinion anyway.
October 21, 2009 - 08:51 ET by mattmThe best way to measure public opinion is via a free market system.
A free-market, with HSAs, freedom to buy insurance, or not, from any company, tort reform and any other reforms necessary to protect the freedom of both the provider and the patient, you would see what the people want, because they'd be free to go out and get it.
But totalitarians, like the weenies at the WaPo, don't like it when people are free. It makes them nervous for some psychotic reason.
Polling needs to get with the times
October 21, 2009 - 10:09 ET by bpjamInstead of polling 'democrats' and 'republicans' they should be polling for 'liberals' or 'conservatives'.
GOP identification is currently very low due to the GOP being completely and totally out of power and being almost entirely shut out of the public debate (thanks MSM!!!). But Conservative identification is either 38% or 40% depending on the poll.
So 4 out of every 10 Americans self-identifies themselves as a Conservative. That is twice as many as identify themselves as Republicans.
And only 18-19% of Americans consider themselves Liberals. Yet somehow they are always oversampled in polls by up to 100% more than their makeup in the populace.
Polling needs to stop focusing on party ID and more on political ideology since 'independents' are the only political registration in the country which is actually increasing and the only way to determine who the hell the 'independents' are is by getting them to identify their ideological leanings.
Why Yes, Yes They Do Stuff Their Ballot Boxes
October 21, 2009 - 12:59 ET by rammingspeedYes. The left always does push polls. They have to, because they're wrong on the issues. So they lie, and it's okay, because all's fair in war.