Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Wade Watch: Picks poll that says voters are behind Wisconsin's Governor

He meant "Help take Wisconsin backWARDS"

I've often heard it said that if you look hard enough, you can find a poll that supports just about any point of view. This morning on WakeUpLaredo, radio host Tom Wade on 1090 am, did just that. Being an avowed conservatist, Wade no doubt thinks the protesters in Wisconsin are wrong in what they're doing. To "prove" it, he cited a Rasmussen Poll on whether or not voters are behind Governor Walker's attempt to break public employee unions in that state. Not surprisingly, Wade said that Wisconsin voters are on the Governor's side.

What Wade conveniently left was that Rasmussen is often cited by Fox News because it has a history of framing the poll questions in a way that achieve the desired (Right-leaning) results. For example, in this particular poll, Rasmussen closes out the poll with a couple of questions that can be construed as leading. 
* Should teachers, firemen and policemen be allowed to go on strike?

* In the dispute between the governor and the union workers, do you agree more with the governor or the union for teachers and other state employees?   
Please notice the first question above asks if teachers, firemen and policemen should be allowed to go on strike. In reality, only the teachers are on strike. The firemen and policemen are sympathetic to the strikers but are not on strike themselves. Having them both on strike would be frightening to many. There could be looting and chaos.  Very few people would want law enforcement and fire fighters on strike. By lumping them together with teachers in this question, Rasmussen assures itself poll results that are appear to be favorable to Governor Scott Walker.

P.S. It didn't even take me a minute to find a poll favorable to the protesters and against Walker. Greg Sargeant of the New York Post cites a Public Policy Polling (Dem-leaning Poll) survey that finds:
On the core question, Wisconsinites strongly back the right of public employee unions to collectively bargain, 57-37. And voters are divided on whether they would support a recall of Walker, 48-48, with slightly more independents say they'd support recalling him. But this nugget may be the most interesting of them all. Non-union households are backing the unions, too:

3 comments:

  1. By listening to the likes of Tom Wade, and formerly Jay St. John and Marissa Martinez, I really have no clue who I'm supposed to root for.

    Big business employs a lot of people but if it gets into trouble, we shouldn't bail them out. Don't even try the too-big-to-fail argument around here.

    Middle class union workers drive wages sky high, making it difficult for their employers.

    Immigrants drive wages too low. Oh, and they also bring polio with them, according to Leo Berman.

    Now, speaking to your post, I find it interesting that repubs like to live in a 9/12 world (thanks to Glen Beck) but when the tab is due, they'd rather look the other way.

    They talk a good game about security but do little to act on their beliefs.

    Wisconsin leadership would love nothing better than to bust unions.

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  2. This poll must have been the same one that had Gene Belmares' stating he had a strong lead during this past mayoral race. JK. There is good & evil with unions - but in my opinion, more good and a chance at having the worker heard. Say "no" to union-busting.

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  3. I got an idea. Maybe we can start a polling service. We can call it "poll on demand" or something like that. We'll just ask 'em "what do you want the poll to say?" and we'll get right on it. I think that's essentially what Rasmussen does- so maybe they already patented the idea. Chihuahua.

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