Polls are not for the informed.

[Pacifist Patriot]

I'm in the process of doing an on-line Zogby poll. Probably the most in-depth one I've taken yet and hitting on many issues about which I have definite opinions. However most of the options either do not take my point of view into account or answering would lead to the potential for misinterpretation. It's rather frustrating. People who have conscious reasons for their opinions must find it very difficult to respond to polls. Though I have to say the question asking whether I was proud or ashamed to be lead by President Bush was gratifying to answer.

Here's an example:

As you probably are aware, President Bush will deliver his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Do you plan to watch the State of the Union address?


Yes
No, but I will watch recaps on the nightly news
No, I don't plan to watch it or pay attention to coverage
Not sure

Where is "No, but I will read a transcript later to form my own opinions."

I had another rambling thought this past week and might as well save space and put it here.

In talking to a mixed group of "conservatives" and "liberals" for lack of more precise labels I realized something. The conservatives were not remotely interested in the cause of problems and felt they were irrelevant while the liberals felt solutions were untenable without addressing root causes. Could this be a fundamental difference between these two sides of the political spectrum?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I took that poll

and I agreed that they didn't have my answer to that question, which was that I would go to DU to find out what Will Pitt and others said about the speech.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Well yeah, that too!

:)

[FSogol]

3. But if you read a transcript, you miss all the errors, mistakes,

mangling of the 'Merican language.

I guess you'd still see all the lies.

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. Consider it an act of preservation.

If I hear his voice I'd go crazy. Reading the transcript preserves my sanity.

[calmblueocean]

5. Definitely.

I just wrote a post on a very similar subject.

In my experience, most conservatives see only the world as it exists right in front of them. They don't look to the past for understanding, or to the future to see where current trends lead. Conservatives will often call this "living by principle" and use this philosophy to justify apathy and ignorance, and to shrug off any sense of responsibility. The sad truth is, it's easier than thinking.

The thing is, I know many conservatives (and libertarians) who feel this way and are very good people on a personal level. But they don't connect policy with alleviating suffering in the same way that they connect, say, sandbagging during a flood or buying groceries for a hungry family.

[dkofos]

6. I took that poll this morning

It took forever, very slow rersponse.

My favorite question from the survey was

Are you proud or ashamed to have George W. Bush as President of the United States?
Proud
Ashamed
Not Sure

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Conservatives tend to be 'faith based', and thus believe the

universe operates by magic -- cause and effect do not exist in a faith-based world.