I believe this is what the expression “WTF?” was invented for
Wait, what? Clinton got 16 percent and Palin got 15 percent?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the most admired woman in America, barely edging out former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll out Wednesday. When Gallup asked 1,025 adults nationwide to name the woman they admire most, 16 percent picked Clinton. Palin was the only other woman to be mentioned by at least 10 percent, being selected by 15 percent of those surveyed.
Politico: Hillary Clinton nudges Sarah Palin for most admired (h/t Pam’s House Blend
This is the nation that Obama is trying to lead. I’d be freebasing anti-psychotic meds with painkillers after a month in his job. But it really isn’t surprising. Something like forty percent of Americans think our planet is 6,000 years old. Huge percentages are confused about anthropogenic global warming. Many can’t tell a socialist from a nazi from a communist from a carrot. I wonder what they all have in common? My guess would be FOX news.
It really is sad. Do these people realize they idolize a moron? What makes them proud of that? The stupid hurts my brain.
Whats worse is some of those 15% have kids that are going to follow their parents and look to Palin as a roll model. **Shudder** Hopefully a good majority break away.
I must admit, I believe all polls are phony, fudged, and complete and utter crap.
As much as I think Sara Palin is pond scum, I must also admit I think little of Hillary Clinton. Fortunately, Mrs. Clinton is in an utterly meaningless government post, so I don’t fret about her a lot.
Well, in addition to Fox Noise there’s also NCLB and fundamentalism.
The thing is Gerry, most statisticians will tell you the accuracy of polls is surprising. While some polls can manipulate opinion and while others still can have bias wording, the profession polling companies are able to poll with high accuracy. Most stats books used for stats classes explain this better than I can but I think it boils down to the length of time these polling orgs have been polling and what data they have collected from sub populations and how that data relates to the entire population.
Whelp. At least Sarah Palin was behind Hillary Clinton. That’s some consolation.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go weep for my country.
Nobody has ever asked me a question in a poll I thought was “fair and balanced.” My view: only narrative answers mean anything at all.
As for statisticians, I always think of Mark Twain (or whoever it was), there are lies, damned lies, and there are statistics.
The actual question Gallup used was:
“What woman that you have read or heard about, living today in any part of the world, do you admire most? And who is your second choice?”
Yes, I’ve heard that quote too Gerry and it comes from the misuse of stats not the science of stats. There is a difference between the two. It’s the same way how journalists get science and all other things wrong from time to time.
And did I mention that I’ve heard somewhere that people (not all of them, I suppose) tend to answer poll questions with the thought in mind that they want to look good, as in smart, or fair, or knowledgeable, or whatever?
I’m sure polling numbers have their place, like in setting TV advertising rates (I can’t see any other reasons the sitcom genre has survived).
Wait… people are trying to look good by admiring Sarah Palin? They think that will make them look good?
I think I’m going to join Dana in weeping for my country.
“And did I mention that I’ve heard somewhere that people (not all of them, I suppose) tend to answer poll questions with the thought in mind that they want to look good, as in smart, or fair, or knowledgeable, or whatever?”
Right … which is why polling companies can call elections within .01%. They don’t know WTF they’re doing.
FAIL.