More Slanted Polling Presentations From Rasmussen?
A number of writers — and readers — have raised questions about Rassmussen Reports polling, arguing that the firm games its poll questions and presents its results in a way designed to gain maximum pick-up by the conservative media. See Josh Marshall, Matthew Yglesias, and Dave Weigel for more on this.
Well, this week brings a new example. Here’s the headline on Rasmussen’s latest press release touting its poll on health care:
49% Say Obama Should Delay Health Care Reform Until Economy Is Better
And it’s true that the Ras poll found this. But if you dig down into the poll, you find that it also found another number that’s just as newsworthy, if not more so. From the Ras release:
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of voters acknowledge, however, that reining in health spending is at least somewhat important to improving the nation’s economy. That includes 46% who say it is Very Important.
That’s a striking, headline-worthy finding. An enormous majority — nearly 30 points more than the number who said Obama should delay health care reform — believes the central argument being made for reforming health care right now.
It’s odd enough that this is presented as an acknowledgment on the part of voters, as if they were somehow reluctant to believe this. But put that aside for a sec. The larger point is that Ras decided to headline the less interesting and dramatic number in its own polling — one that clearly would have much more appeal to conservative media and their audiences.
This is by no means a capital offense on Ras’ part. But it’s worth keeping an eye on decisions like these by Rasmussen, since they help drive the conversation in one way or another and impact our discourse.
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The did it all last year and they will continue to do it. They put up silly headlines, they ask leading questions, and their pollster goes on FoxNews on the regular trash talking then Senator now President Obama. This isn’t tinfoil hat talk, this is the reality staring us in the face.
One good thing is that Rasmussen is just one polling outfit that gets media attention. There are several more like Gallup, ABC-WAPO, CBS-NYT, etc that get just as much attention and there results are usually more indicative of the national trends. Hasn’t Ras been an outlier since Obama was sworn in?
Oops, should be “their” not “there”.
I cannt understand where Obama gets that most people want goverment health care most of my friends are afraid of big goverment I believe he says anything he wants it has nothing to do with the people
I think obama has shown how he thinks of white people and not how bad police are treated .His elists personally took the wrong side on this one and started this himself the race card is his doing.
The country is going in wrong Obama has divid us and I cant understand he seems smart but his action arent
Obama healrh care is a tax hyden in a health care bill as far as death panels obama already pass them in stimulus bill Obamas plan to take over groverment is right on track if we dont stop him you will have lost you country