Wash Post continues to deceive on Congressional approval numbers!

[harlinchi]

Voters unhappy with Bush; Congress: Reuters poll

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Reuters
Wednesday, July 18, 2007; 8:13 AM

It would appear that The Washington Post, Mr.Whitesides and Reuters, at least in part, have revealed themselves to be soldiers in the army of deceivers and enablers which has pushed this country into a catastrophe. People who intend to mislead combine statistics in confusing ways. These paragraphs were particularly instructive:

Eighteen months before Bush leaves the White House, nearly two-thirds of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction and give the president negative marks for his job performance.

An even bigger majority, 83 percent, say the Democratic-controlled Congress is doing only a fair or poor job -- the worst mark for Congress in a Zogby poll.

While 83 percent said Congress was doing a fair or poor job, just 14 percent rated it excellent or good. Last October, in its final days, the Republican-led Congress earned ratings of excellent or good from 23 percent of voters.

I wondered why combine fair and poor into one number? Was Mr. Zogby trying to save ink, band with, space or what? Surely he asked about questions which would allow for disaggregation of his results. How many thought the Democrats were doing a poor, fair, good or excellent job? I am sure he asked the same of GOP'ers. Why not report those results?

If, as I assume, any responsible pollster would ask those questions, why weren't those numbers listed? Removing the obvious possibilities of cost and space, one is left with politics. The results not listed do not support their central argument, i.e., that Americans are more upset with the Democratic-led congress than they were in the recent past with the GOP-led one. I believe their argument is false.

Understanding that many passionate Democratic party supporters are disillusioned with our Democratic leaders, falsely (in my opinion) thinking them inept and powerless, I refuse to believe that their support has devolved to the levels we are being led to consider as true. I now view Mr. Zogby's polls askance! I think this article and poll are more of the policies and politics of prestidigitation. We are all worse off for it.

I have posted about this before showing when a breakdown is reported their premise falls apart: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3374460

[SoFlaJet]

1. I've BEEN very wary

of these poll numbers on congress-I've been saying WHAT is the actual question? The dems may control the senate-slimly but I'd like to know if it was asked if the republicans blocking every thing they xcould has anything to do with these numbers

[harlinchi]

4. Intuitively, I feel the GOP blocking is the biggest factor.

The Harris interactive poll ( http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll / ) appears to demonstrate my point. I get concerned, though, when I see so many Democratic supporters who seem to agree. Being upset because the surge was funded or Webb's amendment failed to get to a vote or because a filibuster is announced, blocking progress on Democratic initiatives should be temporary. It also should be a double-edged sword, with the sharper edge facing the GOP, cutting far more deeply.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. What ever those numbers are or mean, they are used to

make bush look better, I too suspect that they mean less than nothing.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. People want leadership 180 degrees away from bush. Not just a slight change in

course.

If the Dems would use the power of the purse to end the occupation (something Reid has just started in a small way)Impeach the executives, and move to repeal the patriot act, my bet is that congresses' poll numbers would improve significantly.

Enough already!

[harlinchi]

5. I agree but my perspective is that the GOP is far worse.

Painting them all with the same wide brush is, to mix metaphors, to throw out the baby with the bathwater (albeit a mischievous and misbehaving congressional Democratic baby). Saying they are equally at fault is to accept Nader's argument that there is no difference between parties. Our president and his cronies should have disavowed us of that notion.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. The Gop is far worse on

the patriot act?
calling for impeachment?
hand counted paper ballots?

But when it comes to displaying the 10 commandments in public buildings, there are major differences, that's for sure, and no one can argue about that. Also on the issue of MLK's birthday

On the other hand, when they called for bush appointees to issue a report on if Iran is attacking troops in Iraq, we got a unanimous vote in the Senate.

Congressional approval numbers have always been taken on congress as a whole. The reason the Dem controlled congress is getting such low ratings is because people voted for change and don't see it, even though the Dems could force change through the power of the purse and impeachment, two items they themselves have taken off the table.

Blaming the polls are done by all sides whenever the polls don't say what they would like them to.

However, if one looks at the specifics in the polls one will find that it's Democrats and independents who are dragging the numbers down at this point. Exactly the demographic who voted for change but haven't seen it.

[harlinchi]

7. Could you help me out with a link?

I've seen (and referenced) the Harris poll which shows Democrats with a 31% approval versus a 21% approval for Gop'ers. I've not seen any other recent poll that shows the breakout (Dems vs. GOP'ers). I am asserting that, to the extent it has been reported, the Democrats approval is higher.

Here's a better link: online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/harrispoll-07122007.pdf

[John Q. Citizen]

8. Here

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1640263,00.html

[harlinchi]

9. No, that one won't do for me. It has no breakout numbers except...

...for a reference to a Quinippiac poll taken over a month ago which showed that the Democrats had an approval rating of 23% at that time.

Here is the Harris poll with breakouts. Please look at tables 7 through 13.

online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/harrispoll-07122007.pdf

The Time poll seems to be part of the misleading problem and not part of the solution.