The Media and Their Polls

March 16, 2005

Ann ABC News/Washington Post polls says that 53% of adults (I assume they mean American ones) think the war with Iraq was not worth fighting. First, let’s assume the poll questions weren’t loaded and this really is true. What’s wrong with people?

Beyond that, can someone tell me the purpose of such polls day after day, month after month, if not to undermine public support for the war. I mean, what difference does it make at this precise snapshot in time whether the country is feeling particularly good about it? Is some election looming that I’m unaware of?

Next, how different do you think those poll numbers would be if the media had not been anti-war for the last two years? How about if the media had just been objective? What about pro-war? How about if Democrats hadn’t lied for two years about the president lying about WMD?

I suppose if you view this situation in its most favorable light it’s possible that the media aren’t trying to undermine the war effort with these polls. If not, then what other motive might they have? Could it be, as Rush always says, they are just trying to create a news story by taking and reporting these polls? Either way, I see very little constructive in the exercise and I’m very skeptical of the results. But even if they’re true, they don’t change anything — other than possibly the people’s support for the effort. And that’s sad.

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