from polling report.com

[radfringe]

http://www.pollingreport.com/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I think the numbers on terrorism

will change as more and more people hear about Clarke. I know I've written my letter to the editor about it, and have demanded that Bush go before the 911 Commission under oath when he testifies.

[July]

9. I fervently hope you are right.

I cannot believe Bush is in front on terrorism and Iraq, given the crappy job he's done. Finally, it's getting some attention.

I really wish Kerry would get out there hammering on Bush's incompetence and the more dangerous U.S., Iraq, and world that Bush has created. Bush must be portrayed as the security disaster he is BEFORE another terrorist strike occurs (a big if, of course).

Ideally, the message will be "You're either with the fuck-ups (Bushco), or you're with the serious people who might do something that will ACTUALLY improve security."

Turning this issue around will help galvanize the effort to get rid of the miserable failure if the worst occurs and there is another attack. The last thing we need is a rally-'round-the-cowboys reaction among the people.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Look at those 30-49 "Reagan babies" --

the only age-group with a majority supporting Bush (apologies to all in that group who don't fit the description!). I wish Gen Y (born l980, and after) could be in a separate category. I think they may differ from the Gen X-ers they're grouped with --

[EdGy]

5. apologies accepted.

I find it just utterly unbelievable how brainwashed so many people were by the Reagan propaganda blitz, blending then into the Bush and right wing propaganda blitz. Unfortunately I know some of these people and they are absolutely hopeless, mindless BushBots until Rush and Fox tell them otherwise.

[Darkamber]

19. Some of us have learned...

Ok..I'm part of the tail end of the baby boom generation...and yes, I voted for Reagan. Sad I know, but I lived in Arizona at the time and from a totally Republican family. Moved out and learned to change my ways.

If you want our generation back with the Democrats...just talk about Social Security and the fact that it won't exist when we retire if things continue as they are under Bush and his wonderful tax cut.

That is what Kerry needs to push. He needs to show the direction relation to keeping the tax cuts and social security.

[Citizen Kang]

15. at least those in the 30-49 bracket

will get whats coming to them if they do elect Bush. The old people won't be around to fully witness the coming catastrophe if Bush is allowed to have his way for another term.

Unfortuneately, my fellow 18-30 year olds will also reap what the young boomers and older Gen Xers have sown.

[flpoljunkie]

3. How about those 18-29 yr olds! They sure have Bush figured out!

Kudos to the young people! They are smart like their grandparents! And what's up with the 30-49 year olds--could it be greedy self interest--or is this the unengaged, uninformed generation?

As for the spoiler, Ralph Nader, he obviously thinks that we must allow Bush to destroy the planet in order to save it. Voters beware of this bitter, deluded man!

[laruemtt]

4. we'll be on top once

we absorb the naderites. i know i heard nader say he's going to meet with kerry to discuss the dems incorporating what he wants included in our platform. finally, some sense!!

[TruthWins]

6. Despite being a 34-year-old man...

I have to admit that many of the men in my age group are stupid chest-bangers who love a good war. I'd be willing to bet that's where the big Bush lead comes from in the 30-49 group.

[mzmolly]

7. Oh I hear ya! Let me tell you.!

38 yo woman here, and man is my generation ignorant! :P

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. Over 40 here

Pampered, fucked up generation we were in. Needs to get a clue.

[PatGund]

10. No kidding....

38 years old, and despairing at most of my agemates.

[RedEarth]

11. 30-49 years old....is that mainly the gen X generation?

Based upon the gen x people I know, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. However, I'm sure there are many enlightened gen x people on this board.

[Bombtrack]

12. It's half baby-boomer, half gen x

and the 18-30 year olds are half gen y half gen x

Clearly Gen Y, (Which I'm from smack dab in the middle of) Grew up on Clinton(with Bush1 as tikes), while Gen X did with Reagan(with Carter as tikes).

So obviously you have that contrast

[sandnsea]

13. 40 - 49 are boomers

Those are really two completely different generations in that 30-49 bracket. But still, I think where we differ from older boomers in that we are exhausted by personal intrusion. A health care plan is great, a law to regulate food that makes you fat is exhausting. So I think this age group as a whole rejects "peaceniks", social engineering and taxes.

The younger ones were no more than 20 in 1980. But they seem to be angry at boomers because we/they have supposedly destroyed everything from the economy to the environment to the social order.

So between the two groups, they lean Republican.

It's a theory anyway!

[PATRICK]

14. NPR Sunday evening did a great informal piece on Zogby

And this is considered a decent poll. The questioners interacted too much in pressuring the responders for an answer. The "mushiness" factor was not figured in. That is the large number of undecided, unstudied people who are counted anyway. This is pushed off as "volatility" or hiddenness in very weak scientific results. The proponent of the mush factor told NPR the journalists deepsixed such unsexy uncertainty.

One Zogby pollster right on air was emoting over shared fundamentalism with a responder. Other brief samples openly showed the contamination of results.

This is before we get to more malicious slant. Polls are systemically bad compared to actual votes. You can rate them from rigged online polls to Zogby but they are only a snapshot guide before people really have to learn and decide.

Just because they push Kerry and tell us what we want to hear people fall into the trap- again. Put them into perspective. Common sense talking to people around you and around the country is a better indicator than any poll- if they vote.

[klook]

18. This American Life

is where the piece on polling was broadcast, as part of Episode 260, "The Facts Don't Matter."

I thought that was really a revealing segment. The Zogby callers would press people to make a choice even if they knew nothing about the issue, candidate, or whatever. For example, if a person said they were a Republican they'd ask, "Well, if you had to vote for a Democrat, which one would you choose?" And many of them will randomly pick some name, not knowing or caring since they'd never really vote for them anyway. But the results gets reported in the media, and people start to believe the percentages.

I was glad the show covered Daniel Yankelovich's Mushiness Index, which is intended to reflect volatility of opinion. (If you follow that link, scroll down about 4/5 of the way to find the section on the Mushiness Index.) But as Yankelovich noted on the program, the press didn't like reporting the "mushiness" information along with poll results because it was too much trouble and bogged down the story.

So as a result, we get half-baked (or manipulated) opinions masquerading as statistical evidence.

[jab105]

16. YEAH to the 18-29 year olds!!!

Growing up to Clinton being president (most of high school and all of college), with Bush there is just no comparison...

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

17. yep

and our grandparent in the 65+ column aint so bad either

but our 60s-hippie-baby-boomer-turned-reagan democrats parents should have their voting rights revoked