"Dem senators to get good polling news."

[Clio the Leo]

Dem senators to get good polling news

A new polling memo offers encouraging news to Democratic senators as they embark on a high-stakes effort to sell health reform to voters following this week’s historic votes.

In a strategy memo to be provided to Democratic senators on Tuesday, Mark Mellman, CEO of The Mellman Group, reports that public polls are giving a distorted picture of the level of opposition to health-care reform. That’s because in many of these polls, “opponents” include people who think the current proposals do not go far enough.

"The individual elements of the legislation are very popular, as is the bill in total, when it is explained," Mellman writes. "Moreover, the public continues to trust Democrats and the President over Republicans to deal with the issue. The news media has recently highlighted polls showing double-digit margins in opposition to the current healthcare plan. But these cursory stories often neglect to mention two salient facts. First, these poll questions fail to give any content, any specific meaning to the reform proposal. … Focus group research makes clear that voters know little about the substance of the plan … Second, public poll analyses often ignore the fact that a chunk of opposition to the current plan comes from those who support reform, but would like to see Congress go further."

In a telephone interview, Mellman said: "There's still an education job that needs to be done."

Read Mellman’s four-page memo here.
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM136_091221_mellman_healthcare.html

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/Dem_senators_to_get_good_polling_news.html

[existentialist]

1. Similarly the polls on Obama's performance rating

will include among those disapproving, those who disapprove because he's too liberal, or too black, or too Democratic,

and also those of us who don't think he's very liberal or Democratic at all.

[Clio the Leo]

2. "I serve as a blank screen ...."

"I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views . . ." .... definately has its down sides.

[dave29]

3. +1

sure does, doesn't it.

[samsingh]

4. this was obvious - it's surprising that people need to be told

the poll reporters are always up to your tricks.

like asking: who's done more for peace Bush or Stalin?

one comes out winning the poll and is reported as: 88% think Bush Jr promotes peace.