The headline said it all as President Carter again showed that fellow Democrats are a president's worst friends. Once again, as Obama was getting preferential treatment from NBC and MSNBC with a special televised economic town hall to demonstrate his concern for the horrible economic conditions leading into the Midterm elections yet another Democrat knocked him off the front pages and this time it was Carter declaring he was a "superior" ex-president to all the other ex-presidents.
After 40 years he still can't get over being walloped by Reagan in the 1980 campaign so in order to hype his new book proving he is a legend in his own eyes the loyal liberal network gave him a break and he took it and completely undermined Obama's effort to focus attention on the economy for the struggling Democratic candidates trying to get re-elected in a time of excessive inertia.
Of course if I had been the victim of the man-eating rabbit attack when I was president and had to fight off the rabbit with a boat oar, I guess I would want to focus on accomplishments after I was president. Still, the highlight of his one term was the infamous rabbit attack as reported at the time.
Between fighting off the rabbit, attacking Ted Kennedy for blocking Carter healthh care, and trashing the ex-presidents Democrat and Republican alike, Carter has truly established his place in huistory. At least he knocked Christine O'onnell off the front pages for a day.
In their continuing effort to prop up the favorite son of NBC the CNBC financial affiliate had a special town hall for President Obama today with 200 invited guests to give him a chance to reassure the American business community that he really loves private enterprise.
Unfortunately, it was more of the same in terms of his distancing from the business community, his failure to offer any new hope for business initiatives, his detemination to raise taxes on the wealthy even if they could create more jobs, his uncompromising attitude toward the Republicans and his failure to connect with the 15 million out of work in America.
To his credit he didn't bash Bush by name, didn't mention John Boehnerr by name, he didn't trash Christrine O'Donnell for winning the Delaware GOP Senate race, and didn't use a telepromptor. Those in the business community expecting to hear any new policies for getting us out of the economic quagmire were ignored as well as anyone expecting him to take the opportuity to give us hope for the future.
In the end the election outlook didn't change. The Democrats are still on track to get pounded.
Liberals Careful to Show Bad side of 'Donnell
The liberal media cannot resist the chance to make Christine O'Donnell look bad and badder even using the worst photos possible to show her. These are the two favorite photos used by MSNBC and other liberal media outlets.
These are photos they could have shown us. Notice any difference?
As for the story lines, they have shifted from O'Donnell high school appearances talking about sexual abstinence to more than decades old interviews talking about witchcraft. Now one might ask what 10-15 year old interviews with a kid have to do with that same person running for the Senate today?
MSNBC and their Morning Joes show is particularly adept at trying to make what happened years ago relevant to today but if they were fair they might tell us about the relevance of Clinton and Monica Lewinsky to today or what the unfortunate death of a congressional aide in Joe Scarborough's office about the same time he resigned from Congress had to do with today. Stop playing games and promoting smear campaigns lest you find yourself on the receiving end yourselves.
Another week of college football and a couple of more teams are solidifying their place in the college polls and this one was a little hard to handle. You see, I was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, home of the University of Iowa from the Big Ten. Though I moved away before high school both my parents attended Iowa and I spent lots of time visiting grandparents and family there long after I moved away.
I was at many Iowa football games throughout the glory years of the Rose Bowl teams of the late 1950's and into the 1960's and when it came time to go to college Iowa was on my short list along with Yale, the University of Missouri and a few schools far away. In the end I opted to go far away to get a fresh start on life and I chose the University of Arizona in Tucson where I played on the basketball team and was to get a shot at baseball.
Late last Saturday night Iowa played Arizona at Tucson and I had somewhat mixed loyalties since both were in the top 25. Just the year before the two teams met and Iowa won 27-17 at Iowa City as both teams went on to great years with Arizona only tumbling bad when they faced Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. It was a great learning experience for the Wildcats as they were humbled 34-0. But it left them understanding what it would take to be among the elite football teams in America.
Now I also had mixed loyalties in that game since I lived in Nebraska for 12 years, got to know the coaches and Husker players, and both my kids graduated from Nebraska. In fact I was in Nebraska during the years they rise to the top of the NCAA football ladder and won a slew of national championships. Ironically, the Big Red of Nebraska are joining the Big Ten next year and will be in the same division as Iowa.
Now living on the east coast I had to stay up until almost 2 am to watch the Iowa - Arizona classic and was stunned as Arizona roared to a 27-7 lead before the Hawkeyes starting clawing their way back into the game. In hindsight I knew that anyone from the Midwest playing in the southwest desert was in for a shock as Iowa football was not played in 100 degree nighttime temperatures.
But I also knew these two programs, along with Nebraska this year, all have young coaches among the best in the nation and one should never count them out. Iowa roared back and tied the game with just a few minutes left. When they missed the extra point on their last touchdown it looked like the game might go into overtime.
But the Wildcats held their poise and marched right back down the field to score. When Iowa got the ball for a last minute drive the Arizona defense rose to the occasion stopping the Hawkeyes 3 times in a row for losses and holding on for a 33-27 victory which resulted in Arizona jumping 10 spots in the national polls.
Iowa still has a great shot at the Big Ten title and high national ranking while Arizona is a valid contender for the PAC Ten title. Nebraska, who pounded Washington at Washington 56-21,could easily take the Big 12 title and national title. Someone has to win and someone has to lose but only in NCAA football can both teams walk away with their heads held high as we were treated to what college football is all about.
A new feature of the Coltons Point Times is to recognize those artists now departed whose contributions to music and life made them giants among people and Harry Chapin is the first of the series. This greatest of all storytellers quietly left a mark on society that stands alone. Twice I got to see Harry in concert and it was an honor to experience the joy and love he gave to the audience and the world. Following is a video of his last recorded performance in Canada 30 years ago that took place just 11 months before his fatal car crash in NYC.
Harry Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle"; as well as his folk musical based on the biblical book of John, "Cotton Patch Gospel". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger, his work a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.
Chapin was resolved to leave his imprint on Long Island. He envisioned a Long Island where the arts flourished and universities expanded and humane discourse was the norm. "He thought Long Island represented a remarkable opportunity," said Chapin's widow, Sandy.
Chapin served on the boards of the Eglevsky Ballet, the Long Island Philharmonic, Hofstra University. He energized the now-defunct Performing Arts Foundation (PAF) of Huntington.
In the mid-1970s, Chapin focused on his social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States. His daughter Jen said: "He saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America". He co-founded the organization World Hunger Year with legendary radio DJ Bill Ayres, before returning to music with On the Road to Kingdom Come. He also released a book of poetry, Looking...Seeing, in 1977. Many of Chapin's concerts were benefit performances (for example, a concert to help save the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York), and sales of his concert merchandise were used to support World Hunger Year.
Chapin's social causes at times caused friction among his band members and then-manager Fred Kewley. Chapin donated an estimated third of his paid concerts to charitable causes, often performing alone with his guitar to reduce costs. Mike Rendine played Bass during the years of 1979.
One report quotes his widow saying soon after his death — "only with slight exaggeration" — that "Harry was supporting 17 relatives, 14 associations, seven foundations and 82 charities. Harry wasn't interested in saving money. He always said, 'Money is for people,' so he gave it away." Despite his success as a musician, he left little money and it was difficult to maintain the causes for which he raised more than $3 million in the last six years of his life. The Harry Chapin Foundation was the result.
It is starting to look like the Obama Pelosi plan to smear the GOP over tax cuts for the wealthy is being undermined by Democratic candidates who are jumping ship to join the GOP block in support of NO TAX INCREASE.
Today, the same day those nasty Republicans helped Obama get the Small Business assistance bill passed in the Senate, thus proving once again Obama was wrong in attacking the GOP for fighting against small business, the GOP seems to be winning the public opinion battle again.
Right now the best Pelosi can do is to delay any vote until after the November election but that means one must trust that Obama and Pelosi will be honest if they promise to bring up the bill after the election and before they expire at year end. To date campaign promises from the president and Speaker of the House have often been forgotten.
As for fact checking the Lame Street media on this bill, the liberals say the Obama bill will only increase taxes on the millionaires and billionaires, yet admit that just 2% of small businesses may also get a tax increase. Of course they fail to mention that since small business is the backbone of America "just 2%" equals 894,000 small businesses that face a tax increase.
They also conveniently forget to mention that the Bush Tax Cuts are not just income taxes like Obama and Pelosi would like us to believe. Here are the real taxes included in the Bush Tax Cuts:
What is scheduled to expire at the end of this year, unless Congress acts?
•The 10, 25, 28, 33, and 35 percent rates would all rise. The new tax rates would be 15, 28, 31, 36, and 39.6 percent. This would cost taxpayers about $157 billion per year.
•The indexing of the alternative minimum tax for inflation would end. The AMT, which provides $66 billion in annual relief for taxpayers, attempts to ensure that individuals who benefit from itemized deductions or credits pay a separately calculated minimum tax.
•Taxes on capital gains and dividends would rise, meaning that investors could potentially pay about $35 billion more.
•Married couples would go back to paying higher rates than today, at a cost to them of $32 billion per year.
•Expanded tax credits – such as the child tax credit, which went from $500 to $1,000 – would end. This would cost families $26 billion per year. Some taxpayers would also pay an additional cumulative $1.5 billion in education costs.
•The estate tax, which has already expired, would go back to its 2009 level, costing heirs at least $26 billion.
•Higher-income households would see the dollar value of their personal exemptions phased out and would have a lower value for certain itemized deductions. This would cost those people – most of whom make well over $170,000 a year – about $21 billion.
As you can see, millions more Americans will be hurt by Obama Pelosi TAX INCREASES other than just the personal income rates. This is something that the president and liberal media do not want you to know.
Stunning upset winner Christine O'Donnell continues to be the focus of the liberal media firestorm as they attack her for just about everything just as they did Sarah Palin two years ago. It didn't seem to destroy Sarah and O'Donnell has already raised over $1 million since the attacks started.
In her first debate last night she held her own and was clearly the crowd favorite if you watched the debate. It was held at the Wilmington Jewish Community Center and if audience reaction means anything the vicious attacks and character smears underway are helping O'Donnell.
Her answers were greeted by robust applause that was edited out of the MSNBC video clips, more Lame Street Media dirty tricks. Also the press seems to have forgotten that the people of Delaware elected her, not the Republican or Tea party.
Speaking of the election, what the media is not telling you is that Delaware may be a Democrat state, with 293,000 Democrats and 183,000 Republicans, but just 12% of the Democrats voted in the primry while 32% of the Republicans voted. That means 58,394 Republicans voted compared to 35,128 Democrats.
They also forgot to mention that 146,212 registered Independents in Delaware did not vote in the primary which means there are 329,008 Republican and Independent voters compared to the 292,000 Democrats. Those who shot off their mouths before the dust settled could eat their words if their doomsday predictions for her are proven false. .
We thought you might find the following information of interest as we approach our 4th anniversary of publishing the Coltons Point Times next month. Over the past four years we have grown to over 250,000 readers in 119 foreign countries and all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This month the CPT becomes syndicated nationwide and worldwide and we are looking forward to bringing the story of America to the world. For the last quarter of this year here are the top 25 countries and states in terms of CPT readers.
While you browse through the lists click and enjoy the following video from YouTube. As always, we thank you for being part of the CPT family as you are our reason for being.
Top 25 Countries
1. United States 2. Canada 3. United Kingdom 4. Australia 5. Philippines 6. Germany 7. France 8. Netherlands 9. New Zealand
10. Israel 11. India 12. Italy 13. Romania 14. Singapore 15. Poland 16. Brazil 17. Ireland 18. Malaysia 19. Spain 20. Slovakia
Since California is the first state to vote on legalizing marijuana in the Midterm election I thought I would outline the truth about drugs in America and give you an overview of what is beig debated. The subject is marijuana use in America and the facts are this; over 100 million Americans have tried marijuana and 14.8 million use it monthly. Over 40% of all high school age kids have tried it.
Now for comparison purposes, there are three recreational drugs in America, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs including marijuana.
The most recent studies have shown a continued increase in the use of all type of drugs in America with marijuana use up about 9% the past year. Results from the most recent comprehensive study, the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, tells the following story.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Office of Applied Studies (OAS)
Alcohol
Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2007 survey (51.1 percent). This translates to an estimated 126.8 million people, which was similar to the 2006 estimate of 125.3 million people (50.9 percent).
More than one fifth (23.3 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking (having five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the 30 days prior to the survey) in 2007. This translates to about 57.8 million people, similar to the estimate in 2006.
In 2007, heavy drinking was reported by 6.9 percent of the population aged 12 or older, or 17.0 million people. This rate was the same as the rate of heavy drinking in 2006. Heavy drinking is defined as binge drinking on at least 5 days in the past 30 days.
In 2007, among young adults aged 18 to 25, the rate of binge drinking was 41.8 percent, and the rate of heavy drinking was 14.7 percent. These rates were similar to the rates in 2006.
The rate of current alcohol use among youths aged 12 to 17 was 15.9 percent in 2007. Youth binge and heavy drinking rates were 9.7 and 2.3 percent, respectively. These rates were essentially the same as the 2006 rates.
Tobacco
In 2007, an estimated 70.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) users of a tobacco product. This represents 28.6 percent of the population in that age range. In addition, 60.1 million persons (24.2 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers; 13.3 million (5.4 percent) smoked cigars; 8.1 million (3.2 percent) used smokeless tobacco; and 2.0 million (0.8 percent) smoked tobacco in pipes.
The rate of current use of any tobacco product among persons aged 12 or older decreased from 29.6 percent in 2006 to 28.6 percent in 2007, but the rates of current use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipe tobacco did not change significantly over that period.
Between 2002 and 2007, past month use of any tobacco product decreased from 30.4 to 28.6 percent, and past month cigarette use declined from 26.0 to 24.2 percent. Rates of past month use of cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco were similar in 2002 and 2007.
The rate of past month cigarette use among 12 to 17 year olds declined from 13.0 percent in 2002 to 9.8 percent in 2007. However, past month smokeless tobacco use was higher in 2007 (2.4 percent) than in 2002 (2.0 percent).
Illegal Drugs
In 2007, an estimated 19.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This estimate represents 8.0 percent of the population aged 12 years old or older. Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nonmedically.
The rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older in 2007 (8.0 percent) was similar to the rate in 2006 (8.3 percent).
Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug (14.4 million past month users). Among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of past month marijuana use in 2007 (5.8 percent) was similar to the rate in 2006 (6.0 percent).
In 2007, there were 2.1 million current cocaine users aged 12 or older, comprising 0.8 percent of the population. These estimates were similar to the number and rate in 2006 (2.4 million or 1.0 percent).
Hallucinogens were used in the past month by 1.0 million persons (0.4 percent) aged 12 or older in 2007, including 503,000 (0.2 percent) who had used Ecstasy. These estimates were similar to the corresponding estimates for 2006.
There were 6.9 million (2.8 percent) persons aged 12 or older who used prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically in the past month. Of these, 5.2 million used pain relievers, the same as the number in 2006.
In 2007, there were an estimated 529,000 current users of methamphetamine aged 12 or older (0.2 percent of the population). These estimates were not significantly different from the estimates for 2006 (731,000 or 0.3 percent).
Among youths aged 12 to 17, the current illicit drug use rate remained stable from 2006 (9.8 percent) to 2007 (9.5 percent). Between 2002 and 2007, youth rates declined significantly for illicit drugs in general (from 11.6 to 9.5 percent) and for marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, LSD, Ecstasy, prescription-type drugs used nonmedically, pain relievers, stimulants, methamphetamine, and the use of illicit drugs other than marijuana.
Did you really check out the statistics? Alcohol was used by 126.8 million people 12 and over, tobacco was used by 70.9 million people 12 and over, and illegal drugs were used by 19.9 million Americans 12 and over. Of the latter 14.4 million used marijuana. Over time 100 million people have used marijuana.
The cost of illegal marijuana is staggering with a study by Jon Gettman, Ph.D. indicating that Americans spend nearly $113 billion annually on the drug. We also spend $10.7 billion in law enforcement to control the drug before the stimulus and new drug enforcements efforts by the Obama Administration. In other words our government loses nearly $31.1 billion in lost tax revenue to illegal marijuana and spends $10.7 billion trying to stop it, about $42 billion a year.
That is only the beginning of the cost however. The majority of the drug is grown in South America and Asia and smuggled into the states. Along the Mexican border over 6,000 Mexicans have been murdered in drug wars in the past year alone. Tens of thousands of people in other countries have been murdered over the years supplying the US with pot.
Yet the effects of marijuana are nearly insignificant compared to the physical and psychological damage inflicted on us from legal drugs sanctioned in America, alcohol and tobacco. If you threw in the abuses in the prescription drug use here you would find billions more in wasted money. We know all these legal drugs kill and cost us billions of dollars in medical costs.
So why not legalize marijuana? The benefits now substantially outweigh the risk. Marijuana is the only natural drug of the three recreational categories. Where it has been legalized in places like the Netherlands, the use by the public has dropped significantly below the rate in America. In fact in Columbia where it is grown the drug use is a fraction of the American use.
Not only would legalization eliminate the $10.7 billion in law enforcement costs, money that could be better used chasing the criminals in suits whose actions cost us trillions of dollars in losses, but the $31.1 billion in lost tax revenues could pay for a lot of deficits in states and a lot of new initiatives nationally.
Marijuana could be grown in America putting tens of thousands of acres into productive, tax generating use, land currently sitting idle and generating no property tax revenue. States that lost significant property taxes with the loss of tobacco crops would have a way to recover the losses. Thousands of lives in Mexico would be saved every year by eliminating the drug smuggling and drug wars involved in distribution.
Note these three most recent US Presidents have all admitted to using marijuana.
When we tried to prohibit the sale of alcohol in America it backfired and we should have learned our lesson. We allow the sale of tobacco which has hundreds of chemicals added to it to make us addicted to it and the government still can't stop 126.8 million people from using it. The last three presidents of the United States have all admitted to using marijuana and all three attended Ivy League schools. There would be a great sigh of relief from all the countries trying to stop the flow of marijuana into America and we would be saving thousands of lives a year. How about we use common sense and finally legalize it and put billions of dollars to work for us?
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In the past two years a fascinating phenomena has quietly taken place that could change the future of politics in America. Just 18 months ago for the first time the number of people claiming to be Independents has surpassed the total number of members of either the Democrat or Republican parties. If the political bosses of the two parties are paying attention then they better be preparing for an early retirement, their stranglehold on the political system and the government may be coming to an end.
So what if the Independents outnumber the Elephants and Donkeys? Well in simple words it means that nearly 40% of our voters have rejected the policies, programs and candidates of the two party system. It also means this huge voting block reflects the disenfranchised voters of America, the one group of our citizens subject to taxation without representation.
You see just 32 states allow registered Independents to vote in the primary election for federal offices, meaning for those of you who slept during American History class that means 18 states do not allow Independents to vote in the primary. Several are rather large states banning the Independent vote.
Now some enterprising Independents have formed a bunch of Independent political parties in order to get on the ballot but the states, thanks to the pressure from the two reigning political parties, have made the rules so difficult it is hard to accomplish. Even with his millions of dollars Ross Perot, without a doubt the most successful Independent candidate in the 20th century, still was not on all ballots.
Ross did what he had to do and in spite of the efforts of the two parties to crush him he still got 19% of the vote and cost Bush senior the election. Clinton won by far less than the 19% Perot took away from both party candidates. More on Mr. Perot later as I intend to report on my years as a media advisor to Ross Perot and the things he was doing for people behind the scenes.
Why are states forcing Independents to set up their own political party when they are Independents because they are fed up with the political parties that exist? They don't want their own party, there is all ready to much politics in America. They just want the right to vote for candidates from either party or any of the many minor parties like the Green Movement, etc. in the primary and general elections.
Who gave the Democrats and Republicans the right to dictate who we can choose from on the ballot? In many cases the parties are protecting the worst candidates and the parties have demonstrated that their primary purpose is to protect the political system that is corrupt to the bone. If America is the land of the free then why do the political parties get to screen and virtually dictate who we can vote for in the elections?
As America has matured and both parties have demonstrated an equal zeal to promote greed and corruption the difference between the Democrats and Republicans has vanished. Oh it may be that most liberals are Democrats and most conservatives are Republicans but there are liberals, conservatives and moderates in both parties.
It may be that the party and presidential candidate have a platform to run on but as every winner the past century including the most recent candidate of change Barack Obama have demonstrated, once they win nothing really changes. Both parties are addicted to campaign money, both try to control government policy and in the end the rich still get richer while the middle class is left holding the bag. There will never be effective and honest campaign reform as long as the two parties control the candidates for president, the House and the Senate.
It is time someone sensible in our nation's capitol step up and give all the voters rights. It is time we recognize that control of the government is not the right of the political parties but the people. It is time we pay attention to what got us into this mess in the first place, taxation without representation, greed and a healthy dose of corruption.
I don't remember reading anything about the power or role of the Democrat or Republican parties in our Declaration of Independence or Constitution. There were no guarantees that they should be allowed to control our national policy nor pick our candidates. Fact is they weren't even in existence when our Founding Fathers were debating our future.
I believe both parties should have a voice in national politics, along with the Independents. Then the voice of the people will be heard. Right now only the political machines are heard. Someone in Washington should clean up the mess. For the first 100 years third parties were essential to our success as our forefathers knew there was an inherent danger in allowing political control to be concentrated in a couple of parties.
It was a system that worked quite well. Then came the party bosses who tapped the money and found out how financially rewarding control could become if only they could force the public to pick between two stooges. Occasionally we get good presidents. But there are a lot more good people that could be helping out the country but they will never get the chance because they do not have the backing of the political parties, unions, Wall Street or the money managers, all who conspire to preserve the status quo.
Mr. Obama, you promised changes. Actually you promised a whole lot of things but we know you were just kidding on most of them. You knew you could never deliver. But we understand little political lies, we have been conditioned over the years. Maybe you would like to champion the one change that will benefit us for all time, get rid of the two party control of the American political system. The time is now!
With primaries over we are almost through the silly season of the never-ending campaigns for control of our government and it is time to take a look around at all the damage that has been done. How do we do that? Well the media and politicians use a clever technique called polling to keep us informed of what we think and the big question is does it really do that? No!
Wake up media and stop trying to sway the American public opinion. It has been 40 years since I started developing campaign polling and demographic databases and the one constant through nine presidents is nothing has changed. The American people will always make up their own mind and if you try to influence them your polls will be the same disaster as always.
So why should the news media care? Because the credibility of the media is just as poor as the credibility of the president, congress and corporate America and those reporting the news should not be considered a joke. If I didn’t care about the reputation of the media I would not care, although the extreme efforts of some media to mislead the public does provide some form of entertainment.
News reporting is a protected privilege in America, it is even protect by the Constitution in the Bill of Rights. But along with such privileged status comes responsibility, the responsibility to not abuse your rights and many of the media seem to forget.
What is the purpose of polls? Polls are a snap shot at that moment of time in reaction to a specific question. No more no less. The more objective the question the more objective and honest will be the answer. The more scientific the pool of people polled the more accurate the results.
Every day political news reporters try to apply the results of daily polls to what will happen in the future. For example, they tell us Democrats and Republicans are tied in the polls today and that means the Democrats will do much better in the Midterm elections than expected. Such extrapolation is nonsense and the media knows better. When you hear such things just know there is a hidden agenda by those making such silly reports.
This is September, not November, and so far one third of the voters, the Independents, have not even been polled since all primary polls only talk to Democrats and Republicans. Those few polls that do survey Independents are not getting much press but they show the largest GOP lead ever recorded over the Democrats, well in double digits.
Any poll done at this time when one third of the voters are not even counted, and that one third may well be the angriest of all the voters, could be 20-25% inaccurate. So why does the media continue reporting the party results? They know better.
The only polls accurate right now are those concerning the public sentiment and they foreshadow serious change this fall. More than two-thirds of the public think the country is headed in the wrong direction, more than two-thirds think Obama and the Democrats are doing the wrong things, and more than two-thirds think congress, all of congress, is just as misguided. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe as I have pointed out consistently all year, a tsunami is about to hit the Democrats in control.
If the parties are running even at this time and both are held in low regard by the populace it is only because the Independents are not being counted. Come November 2 the game changes radically and the combined Republican opposition with the Tea party and Independent disgust with government will make a statement that will be heard around the world. The party in power will fall.
Also, there is no way the results in one state mean the same thing will happen in another state as the people of Delaware are far different than those in Ohio or Iowa, just as New York is different than California. Polls can also be very distorted if the people surveyed are not registered to vote, or even if they are registered does that mean they will actually vote.
As I said recently, just look at the numbers. Well over 4 million more Republicans than Democrats voted in the primaries in 2010, the first time since 1930 more Republicans voted in the primaries than Democrats. Yet sitting on the sidelines because they were denied the right to vote by archaic campaign laws is the mighty Independent voting block and they are just as mad as the "rogue" Republicans who have been leading the attack.
Take New Hampshire for example. The latest polls show 70% of Independents are dissatisfied with the direction our federal government is going. In yesterday's primary there were 266,144 eligible Democratic voters and about 70,000 turned out. There were 264,451 eligible Republican voters and about 152,000 turned out, more than twice as many Republicans. Yet there are 388,589 Independent voters who did not vote. If 70% are fed up with the direction of Obama and the Democrats they will be joining the vote and bring about a Republican landside in November.
A poll of “eligible voters” can be wrong because about 40% of eligible voters are not even registered to vote. Even a poll of “registered voters” could also be wrong for less than half will vote in the election and the enthusiasm of the voter will dictate the turnout. Republicans have much greater enthusiasm to vote and Independents may have even greater enthusiasm. Few polls will ever go into the level of detail needed to get accurate results.
There is a final distortion of poll results if the caller identifies who employs them or if they say it is for an organization like Gallup, Rasmussen or the Washington Post for example as some people are going to be inclined to answer the way they think the “media” wants them to answer. People do not want to feel stupid so they might just make up answers, especially on issues they do not know.
The bottom line is this. If you believe the polls published by the media you are as crazy as the media. On the other hand, if you really want to see a meaningful poll the following are the latest results from a Gallup Poll on the Confidence of the American Public in our institutions.
It would appear the general public already know what they think of the media and their polls when 78% of our citizens do not have a great deal of confidence in Television news, yet they have even less confidence in Congress with 89% not having confidence, the worst record of any American institution. Also note that nearly two thirds of Americans, 64%, do not have confidence in the President. Then remember these numbers are almost three months old. How low can you go by now?
