-Caveat Lector-
>From Capitol Hill Blue, 4/7/99:
The Rant
I am, therefore I rant. . .
The poll that wasn't
They held a small celebration at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Tuesday. As
celebrations go, it wasn't much of a gala, but things to celebrate
have been few and far between at the House of Clinton these days.
The celebration came with a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that
says a majority of Americans now support Bill Clinton's Kosovo war and
would also support the use of ground troops.
So there were a few high-fives and back slaps issued as the the
illusion masters of the Clinton administration congratulated
themselves on yet another propaganda victory.
A week of televised images of Kosovo refugees had paid off. Bill
Clinton now has the American public behind him.
Or does he? Like Bill Clinton's Presidency, the poll released Tuesday
appears to be more than it really is.
The poll was conducted by Hart Research, a Democratic polling firm
whose clients include many Democratic members of Congress, the AFL-CIO
and a President named William Jefferson Clinton. Fred Yang, the Senior
Vice President for Hart, often writes articles that offer "the
Democratic perspective" on issues for magazines like Campaigns and
Elections.
Before the key questions were asked, those polled were told: "As you
may know, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to leave
Kosovo." And the question on ground troops was worded to invoke
emotion: "Would you favor or oppose a decision to send U.S. and NATO
soldiers into Serbia if the Serbs continue to drive people out of
Kosovo?"
In the polling business, this is called stacking the deck, wording the
questions in a way to make sure you get the answers you want.
"If you want an honest poll about the actions of a Democratic
president, you don't hire a pollster who works for the Democratic
party. Hart is considered one of the most partisan firms around," says
Dr. Ralph Bakke, a retired professor who taught demographics and
polling. "You either hire an independent pollster or you hire polling
firms from both sides and aggregate their results."
US News & World Report, for example, publishes a series of
"battleground" polls that uses both Democratic and Republican
pollsters.
NBC and the Wall Street Journal, however, chose to go the partisan
route and the results of their poll gave them just the story they
wanted to trumpet in print and over the airwaves today.
There are many things you can call this: Cooking the books and
stacking the deck are just two.
One thing you can't call this is honest journalism.
--Doug Thompson
Founder, Publisher & Editor
Capitol Hill Blue
_________________________________________________________________
Want more Rant? Try Recycled Rant
Want to Rant? Visit ReaderRant
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
