It is unlikely a coincidence that the Star Tribune is coming up with polls that look good for the Mayor. (Finding that most people are satisified with the direction of the city, and that the mayor has the highest recognition and favorability rating). What is surprising is that no one has raised skepticism about the polls and their source. The local newspaper of record has been boosting the Mayor and her unconditional support for big corporate favors since well before she was elected to her first term in 1993. Most recently, the Stribune reported that the Mayor had the DFL endorsement all locked up several days before the delegates got together and did NOT endorse her. There seem to be many aspects of the polls that would predictably look good for the Mayor. - It is not surprising that most people in Minneapolis are overall happy about the direction where the city is going since the Minnesota economy is still relatively strong, except for the very substantial minority of people in poverty who are far less likely to be polled. More revealing questions would have included not just what people were concerned about but whether people actually were satisfied with the city's policies on issues that local elected officials actually have control over such as affordable housing, corporate subsidies, basic services, etc. - It is not surprising that the Mayor would have a general favorable rating since she is so careful not to visibly take positions that would offend anyone. It is obviously not surpirsing that she has the most name recognition given that she has been Mayor for eight years. More revealing questions might have included what people thought about candidates' specific stands on issues such as housing, corporate subsidies, basic services, and on the candidates individual qualities such leadership, trustworthiness, etc. - It is perhaps most revealing that the Stribune structured its poll to prop up the [supposedly] two party system and ignore the existence of any alternatives. It only asked people to identify themselves as Democrats, Republicans or Independents, while apparently leaving out the two other major parties in the state, even though the Green Party presidential candidate got 10 percent of the vote in Minneapolis, and the Reform/Independence party gubenatorial candidate got somewhere over 30% of the Mineapolis vote. This obviously biased polling tactic would do most to prop up the DFL, since many people are somewhere on the fence between the Greens and DFL but would probably choose Greens if given a choice. There are also undoubtedly others who would have chosen Independence Party instead of DFL or Republican. Jordan Kushner Ward 8, Powderhorn _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
