Post Election Polls

from JoeUser Forums

Pollster Zogby is under fire for a recent poll which shows some interesting results post election.  They had to release this statement.

“We stand by the results our survey work on behalf of John Ziegler, as we stand by all of our work. We reject the notion that this was a push poll because it very simply wasn't. It was a legitimate effort to test the knowledge of voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama in the Nov. 4 election. Push polls are a malicious effort to sway public opinion one way or the other, while message and knowledge testing is quite another effort of public opinion research that is legitimate inquiry and has value in the public square. In this case, the respondents were given a full range of responses and were not pressured or influenced to respond in one way or another.'

Why would he have to put out a statement like this?  Well the results of this poll doesn’t favor well with the democrat side of things.

Ninety-four percent of Obama voters correctly identified Palin as the candidate with a pregnant teenage daughter, 86% correctly identified Palin as the candidate associated with a $150,000 wardrobe purchased by her political party, and 81% chose McCain as the candidate who was unable to identify the number of houses he owned. When asked which candidate said they could "see Russia from their house," 87% chose Palin, although the quote actually is attributed to Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey during her portrayal of Palin during the campaign. An answer of "none" or "Palin" was counted as a correct answer on the test, given that the statement was associated with a characterization of Palin.

Obama voters did not fare nearly as well overall when asked to answer questions about statements or stories associated with Obama or Biden -- 83% failed to correctly answer that Obama had won his first election by getting all of his opponents removed from the ballot, and 88% did not correctly associate Obama with his statement that his energy policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry. Most (56%) were also not able to correctly answer that Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground.

Nearly three quarters (72%) of Obama voters did not correctly identify Biden as the candidate who had to quit a previous campaign for President because he was found to have plagiarized a speech, and nearly half (47%) did not know that Biden was the one who predicted Obama would be tested by a generated international crisis during his first six months as President.

In addition to questions regarding statements and scandals associated with the campaigns, the 12-question, multiple-choice survey also included a question asking which political party controlled both houses of Congress leading up to the election -- 57% of Obama voters were unable to correctly answer that Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate.

I think we should start considering an intelligence test for voting.  ;)

18,313 views 31 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

I think we should start considering an intelligence test for voting.
End of quote

They did that in Florida in 2k.  As we saw, the democrats failed miserably.  But it was their own test. ;)

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

I guess this proves my "ignorant vote" theory where Obama won, not because he was the better candidate, but because of ignorance by the average American.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from PolMach Forums Top

Quoting CharlesCS, reply 2
I guess this proves my "ignorant vote" theory where Obama won, not because he was the better candidate, but because of ignorance by the average American.
End of CharlesCS's quote

 

Well duh....Un informed and not in touch... only to what the media feeds you

 

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

I believe it is more of an indictment of the Media and its failure to inform the voters.

 

As for Obama voters, I would guess a large portion of them were voting for 'more stuff for me' so being intelligently informed of the issues didn't come into play, particularly when they weren't getting anything substantial from the media.

Reply #5 from PolMach Forums Top

Quoting pictoratus, reply 4
I believe it is more of an indictment of the Media and its failure to inform the voters.

 

As for Obama voters, I would guess a large portion of them were voting for 'more stuff for me' so being intelligently informed of the issues didn't come into play, particularly when they weren't getting anything substantial from the media.
End of pictoratus's quote

 

Sadly you are right on with this. I n fact went around with this lady on another MB that saw nothing wrong with the thinking. I mean as she said "whats wrong with helping other out"

The problem is... when you are forced to help someone out. In a way that is what "spreading the wealth" is.

 

I say screw em all. Ill still stick to my thinking and do my little that I do to be a productive memeber in society. While all these others are sitting around doing nothing and living off the rich.... let em... for when it does all hit the fan... I for one will be a better person than them and actually feel good about myself... and will be looked at as a better person overall .

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

so being intelligently informed of the issues didn't come into play,
End of quote

It does when you get that dripping condescending sneer from some pencil head that thinks they are better because they care.  Now we have proof they are just idiots.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

included a question asking which political party controlled both houses of Congress leading up to the election -- 57% of Obama voters were unable to correctly answer that Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate.
End of quote

This is the funniest bit.. change change change they chant... must break the conservative power... but the democrats were the ones in power.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

I think that, rather than ignorance, current events and  the social class of the voters played a large part in deciding the election. In my opinion, after reading a few anecdotal responses off reason.com, many of the people who voted for Obama did so in order to "punish the Republican party."In light of current events, an unpopular war, an economic crisis, and a president perceived to be unintelligent, I think people were just sick and tired of the old and conservative. They wanted change; they wanted change that McCain just could not promise in the same way that a Black liberal could. 

And on top of that, they wanted equality and social justice. Poorer people realized that Obama would give them more buying power. But while historically the lower income brackets have voted predominantly democratic (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/8/163826/189/342/657659), this past election more young people voted than in any recent past election. And young people are concerned with their social future. Also, Obama struck chords with the African-American and Latino populations, who saw the candidate as a way to make America more racially democratic, as well as economically.

So, while it looks nice to point out that Democratic voters know little about the intricate details of this past election's candidates, in reality, it was not their ignorance, but the incompetence of the current Republican administration and the hope of a more equal society in the future that lead these people to vote how they did. I would think that many Republican voters know just as little about these facts and even the facts regarding their own candidates. That's just the educational reality of today, but it is one that Obama might contribute to improving. Who knows?

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

So, while it looks nice to point out that Democratic voters know little about the intricate details of this past election's candidates, in reality, it was not their ignorance, but the incompetence of the current Republican administration

End of quote

Well, I attribute it to both. Their ignorance led them to believe that an incompetent black man can repair what an incompetent white man broke.

 

and the hope of a more equal society in the future that lead these people to vote how they did.

End of quote

Actually, I see it as the hope for a less equal society that lead those people to vote as they did.

They don't want equality because equality is bad for the weak. They want entitlements.

_Equality_ is when you and I have equal rights and duties. But ask an Obama supporter if he believes that a rich man should have the same rights and duties as a poor man, and you'll see how far the equality goes.

 

Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top

Actually, I see it as the hope for a less equal society that lead those people to vote as they did.
End of quote

True.  Only an Orwellian view can see it as more equal.  Obama has stated that he sees nothing wrong with slavery, as long as the right people are enslaved.

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

They don't want equality because equality is bad for the weak. They want entitlements.
End of quote

They want buying power for the work they put into the nation, and they want work that they can put into the nation. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/ (This is the official economic platform from obama's site. Feel free to compare it with McCain's http://www.johnmccain.com/Issues/jobsforamerica/)

Only an Orwellian view can see it as more equal.
End of quote

Orwellian? I am not talking about communism. Did you know that our country is neither a democracy nor capitalist? We are a constitutional republic, and we have a mixed economy (the government interferes with business). True capitalism is economic anarchy! It works well in developing countries, but nowhere else really. 

Obama has stated that he sees nothing wrong with slavery, as long as the right people are enslaved.
End of quote

I highly doubt this.

 

Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top

In my opinion, after reading a few anecdotal responses off reason.com, many of the people who voted for Obama did so in order to "punish the Republican party."In light of current events, an unpopular war, an economic crisis, and a president perceived to be unintelligent, I think people were just sick and tired of the old and conservative.
End of quote

I think you were getting really close to the issue.  It's not that they are sick and tired of the old and conservative it is that they are sick and tired of those saying they are conservative when in fact they are not. 

Many are torqued about the economy, fed gov't spending like drunken sailors, no body adhering to their word.

Hannity had an interesting poll about why they voted for Obama.  Main reason was the conservatives weren't being conservative.  With this said, I'm gonna go with the notion that people would rather put the other and oppose him and congress every step of the way knowing who they are to battle with the hopes that conservatives will come back to being um, conservative.

McCain showed little to no conservative values.

That's my take.

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top

Obama has stated that he sees nothing wrong with slavery, as long as the right people are enslaved.
End of quote

Doc, you gotta quote?

Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top

Orwellian? I am not talking about communism
End of quote

Neither was I.  Do you know what Orwellian is?  Communism had some of it, but it was not totally orwellian.

Obama has stated that he sees nothing wrong with slavery, as long as the right people are enslaved.

I highly doubt this.
End of quote

Ok, what do you call it when one person is forced to work - for no compensation - for another?

Doc, you gotta quote?
End of quote

See above.

Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

Ok, what do you call it when one person is forced to work - for no compensation - for another?
End of quote

ah slavery through socialistic oppression. 


Me understands!  :digichet:

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top

ah slavery through socialistic oppression.
End of quote

wtf. what does this mean?

Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting SlyDrivel, reply 16

ah slavery through socialistic oppression.


wtf. what does this mean?
End of SlyDrivel's quote

If I force you to work for me for no compensation, what do you call it?

Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top

So, while it looks nice to point out that Democratic voters know little about the intricate details of this past election's candidates, in reality, it was not their ignorance, but the incompetence of the current Republican administration and the hope of a more equal society in the future that lead these people to vote how they did.
End of quote

Interesting theory.

I think people were just sick and tired of the old and conservative. They wanted change; they wanted change that McCain just could not promise in the same way that a Black liberal could.
End of quote

If that is what they thought then they were racist, stupid, and ignorant. (democrats control the house and the senate, and McCain is not bush)

Also, Obama struck chords with the African-American and Latino populations, who saw the candidate as a way to make America more racially democratic, as well as economically.
End of quote

Yet again, racist, stupid, and ignorant... (more racially democratic = elect someone because of his skin color, as long as it is not white; more economically democratic = take from the rich and give to everyone else, because the rich don't have rights)

 

So to sum it up, you think it was not because people were stupid or ignorant... but because of a variety of reasons that only a stupid, ignorant, and RACIST people would come up with. I agree with your points (ie, the listed reasons for them voting), I disagree with your conclusion. (that they are not stupid or ignorant)

Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top

wtf. what does this mean?
End of quote

To put it in a more familiar term, communism.

Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top

"The poll was conducted from 11/13/08-11/15/08 with a sampling size of 512 (229 male and 283 female) with a margin of error of +/- 4.4%. "

That seems like a really small sample size on which to base this poll on. Not to mention the poll, at first glance, didn't seem to poll Republicans.