Look at the Numbers: But in the latest NBC/WSJ poll, McCain comes out on top (although within the margin of error) when GOP voters are asked which candidate would follow Bush’s policies closely. McCain receives 63%, Giuliani 62%, Fred Thompson 39%, and Romney 37%. In the horserace, Giuliani leads McCain by 11 points (33%-22%), followed by Thompson at 17% and Romney at 12%; no other Republican gets more than 2%. On the feeling thermometer, 42% view McCain positively versus 22% who view him negatively -- which is virtually unchanged from March, but a drop from the 50%-13% split he held back in May 2004, before McCain began aligning himself so close to Bush.Interesting terminology, “McCain comes out on top”, meaning most similar to the unpopular policies of an unpopular president. Talk about damning with faint praise! Clearly by the order of the candidates, the only Bush policy most respondents were thinking of was the war in Iraq.
Personally, I chose not to answer this entire batch of questions. Naively considering the vast range of national issues, I told the interviewer it was up to the candidates to lay out their own policies and they hadn’t yet done that sufficiently. I didn’t realize the question was just a proxy to determine who was most closely identified with the *lost* war in Iraq.
Regarding the horserace – and I hate all the attention that goes to judging who’s ahead at the moment while ignoring significant discussion of the issues – I noticed one interesting feature of the questions. I was asked once for my preference among a list of announced candidates, and then once again among the same list with the addition of Fred Thompson. Evidently the media considers the possible entry of Thompson will be a major event.
1 comments:
The question which would follow Bush's policies most closely is bizarre. Which would follow James Monroe's policies most closely? or Bill Clinton's (if he had any)?
Based on your earlier post, they wanted to know if one thought the President was on the right track. If one answered yes; then following Bush policy would be a good thing (presumeably). A no answer would make the same answer to Q2 negative.
Further, there are many policies: economic; war; education; and who knows what else. A blanket question is likely to mean only the war and must be to make the Republican candidates look bad.
Finally,there appears to be nothing asked that if you disagree with current Republican track are you likely to vote for a democrat.
As you suggest, the poll is to reveal an opinion (theirs).
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