At Robert's suggestion, I submitted the following email to the three authors of the Washington Post article about their flawed polling:
Mr. Balz, Mr. Clement, and Ms. Guskin:
I am a physician and climate activist. I have had 125 letters to the editor published in 28 states since 5/2018, and am a serious reader of various media outlets.
The constant flood of poll results, over a year prior to the presidential election 11/2024, including this latest poll that you acknowledged was "an outlier", does not inform the voting public in a helpful way. It does the opposite.
Horse-race articles are a counterproductive distraction, and, in this case, it papers over the stark difference between a responsible leader and an unhinged, autocratic insurrectionist who just issued a thinly veiled call for the execution of General Milley.
Such reporting makes voters more susceptible to misinformation, resentment politics, and all the other rhetorical devices used by authoritarians like Trump to mislead voters into thinking that a self-obsessed elitist will go to bat for them.
This is irresponsible journalism since it fails in the primary mission of journalism.
According to the American Press Institute:
"The purpose of journalism is..to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments."
It is irresponsible and dangerous for news outlets to publish meaningless and misleading polls, which do not assist decision-making about candidates.
Consider these two lists:
BIDEN/Democrats TRUMP/Republicans
Democracy Autocracy
Dignity Debasement
Science Conspiracies, lies
Freedom of/from religion Subservience to evangelical Christianity
These disparities are demonstrable fact. All three of you are well aware.
With every article, you should be asking, does this article obscure the stark differences represented in the above list (which could be much, much longer), which voters need to know?
Abandon the false equivalence, and the fantasy of balancing fact with fiction. That approach, and the free advertising it provided Trump in 2016, is what got him elected.
It's an honor, Mr. Hubbell. My son Peter, who did 2-years in the Peace Corps in Guinea, Africa, taught me a closing salutation in the local language, Pular, which means "We are together"; so I say, "Ko en gooto."
SOOO helpful. Thank you! I find it so odd that WAPO published a poll, immediately calls its own poll inaccurate, then “declares” the race is even! So after saying their poll is bad, they announce the “right” answer based on????
I've canceled with the NYT. Still receiving the WaPo (for now). I actually now (voluntarily) subscribe to "The Guardian", but sending a monthly donation. I hope that others will consider doing likewise. Only we can keep good journalism alive!
I am so glad you included "free advertising" in your letter. I felt on the edge of insanity in 2016 with the constant, incessant FREE air and FREE press given to that person.
A small bit of hopefulness: one of my daughters lives in Mississippi and today she helped put on a fundraiser for Brandon Presley who’s trying to unseat the horrific Republican incumbent Tate Reeves. She called me afterwards - so excited. She was amazed at how many folks showed up, and how many of them she knew or thought were Republicans. She reported on many comments about being fed up with what the Republicans are doing- and not doing- these days, and how much the party has changed . Good signs are out there! Let’s support Presley too - can you imagine a Dem governor in MS? The folks there think its in reach. Wow.
Alexandra if all of our kids and grandkids and great grandkids, in my case, get out and ‘make good trouble’ we have a chance to keep the ship on course.
So folks, put your money and invest your time and effort on registration and follow up to get out the vote.
We all need to practice what you preach. My family ( daughter, son in law. 2 grandchildren ages 9 and 11), are proudly “woke.” I wear that mantle proudly if that actually means that I am aware of the trajectory this country is heading toward, and trying to do something about it. My grands have been engaging in civil protests from an earlier age. They live right on a street that was a pathway used by the National Guard on January 6 when they were finally called to go help and watched all the trucks go by. They’ve done their own posters like BOO GUNS. They’ve accompanied me to the Supreme Court twice to demonstrate for the ERA and against the anti abortion rulings, and gone with their parents to lay flowers when Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. It’s up to us to engage our kids and grandkids in this fight for the democracy they are going to inherit and the country they are going to live in.
Ilene: I recently wrote the following in an email to a friend, addressing the word "woke":
I try to be as "woke" as possible, according to the definition found in Wikipedia:
"Woke is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning 'alert to racial prejudice and discrimination'. Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as sexism and LGBT rights."
So, that means:
1) Alert to racial prejudice and discrimination
2) Awareness of social inequities such as sexism and LGBT rights.
To be anti-woke, therefore, as a conscious policy, means endorsing racism, sexism and bigotry toward the LGBGT community.
That formulation makes those who embrace being anti-woke on the wrong side of what's right, according to any ethical standard or moral code worth considering.
Being Woke messes with their arrogance, ignorance, and belligerence. It holds up the mirror to their ugliness. They don't like what they see so they blame the mirror.
Along with my own interpretation in my comment, our family clearly fits this definition. My daughter’s family lives this in their work choices and support of family members in the LBGTQ community.
Mr. Presley was a guest on Markers for Democracy's zoom meeting last Friday, and, be still my heart, he was wonderful! He was very open about being a Christian, and for the first time since learning all about the sham of Christian Nationalism, I heard the actual teachings of Jesus reflected in the words of a politician. I made a small donation to his campaign and I look forward to postcarding as soon as it's organized. Here's his website: https://www.brandonpresley.com/
Are there federal laws against threatening government officials? More specifically, US military members? If so, Trump should promptly be arraigned for violating those laws.
Also, Judge Chutkan and DA Fani Willis must crack down on Trump by (among other things) moving up the date of his trial. Trump will react positively only to palpable punishments.
Hopefully, Judge Chutkan will do so this week. I'm not sure if this threat to Mark Milley will be covered by this judge. But I wish Trump would just leave the country, move to somewhere unknown, and never be heard from again!
I am smiling as I think of Trump reacting positively to any punishment, limit, boundary, or consequence. Not going to happen. He is abnormal and perverse. Limits will only provoke more grandiosity and hubris, which he is clearly engaging in to test the judges and the institution of the Law. I think they are giving him rope and will at some point have to respond. It will continue to fail to restrict him. Eventually they would have to jail him and muzzle him - - which is maybe exactly what this bloated martyr wants. Will be wild!
If Federal judges and Fani Willis hit Trump with fines that sharply escalate after each infraction, it will get his attention. He *hates* to lose money.
A judge in New York today found Trump committed fraud in valuing his properties and, under the applicable NY law, has stripped Trump companies of the right to do business in the state.
Among other things, that will make Trump watch his wallet.
Sep 25, 2023·edited Sep 25, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Setting aside the fact that 2023 special election results are a far greater indicator than polling data over a year out from the 2024 election, I write principally to note the urgency, in my view, of Democrats not only sharpening how they message their achievements and aspirations but also how they proceed to disqualify the opposition by beating back the lies, the falsehoods, the hatred, and the divisiveness, within which it traffics.
Just like special elections in 2022 belied the "red wave" in the polls - - but the liberal media and DNC swallowed the bait and expected the worst. Result: losing the House, Vance instead of Ryan in Ohio, etc etc. That didn't work out so well.
I love "Reject their infotaintmentization of politics. Ignore the polls. If you can’t ignore the polls, tell irresponsible media outlets what you think by posting comments on offending articles, write letters to the editor, and send emails to the journalists." This brings us back to the good work of the Media and Democracy Project. Get MAD!
"The 2024 presidential election features two candidates who are surrogates for different visions of America: Democracy versus autocracy; liberty versus tyranny; dignity versus bigotry; science versus disinformation; personal autonomy versus subservience to Christian nationalism; sustainability versus ecological disaster; safety versus gun violence; global stability versus confrontational isolationism. All of that—and much more—is on the ballot in 2024."
Thank you, Robert, for another excellent Newsletter. I, for one, pay no attention to polls. I know that I am voting for the Democratic ticket in Virginia’s election of State officials, and that I will vote for the Democratic ticket in the National election.
Who do these companies poll? They don’t call me or anyone that I know. Do they poll the same people every time, do they get a list of registered voters and poll them? I have no faith in the pills because they are not being done to improve our election process or to educate our citizens. They are being done to increase readership of papers and to increase television viewing.
As for Trump stating that General Milley should be hanged as a traitor, the opposite is true. He should receive a medal for maintaining world peace in a dangerous time. Donald Trump is the traitor. After all, he brought about the insurrection to attempt to overthrow our government. Perhaps he is the one who should receive the penalty he wants to impose on General Milley.
Please everyone, follow Rob’s advice: “ tell irresponsible media outlets what you think by posting comments on offending articles, write letters to the editor, and send emails to the journalists.”
I write almost weekly to the NYTimes (all the news that’s fit for profit) and WaPo ( Democracy dies in the darkness they are creating). There are egregious examples daily, often many - misleading headlines, lack of any meaningful context, fear mongering, ignoring important stories, promoting worthless ones, false equivalencies, and on and on.
They need to hear from us - in huge numbers - enough to make them pay attention and change.
I agree, Alexandra. Constant encouragement is necessary - I do letter-writing promotion with Citizens' Climate Lobby, and I hear so often from people who are knowledgeable and literate that they don't think they can write a good letter to the editor. But they totally could! Communicating respectfully, even if critically, directly with the journalists, a Robert recommended, doesn't even require letter-writing skill - just tell them what you think - simple! Good for you for keeping at it - you never know when that one additional remark will trigger a change in attitude or approach.
Here is the 538 rating on pollsters: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/pollster-ratings Wow! It gives the Washington Post/ABC an A for its polls! (up through 2022) Just tried to write a comment to them: "Looks like your poll ratings are way behind the times - 2022. Even the WaPo/ABC calls its most recent poll on the Biden / Trump "race" an outliner. I would give this poll an F! And, most other polls on that "race" Ds and Fs. There is something very wrong with the way polls are being done now. Reminds me of the Tobacco companies claiming how safe cigarettes were. Corporate money paying for polls that come out the way that helps their ratings, right! Polls are being done by media corporations that are looking for ratings not truth! I'm no longer watching the corporate biased news nor am I paying any attention to the polls. Ask any woman last year whether they believed that the impact of Dobbs would die away in a few weeks! I never believed the Red wave because I knew how angry women were. And, they are still being ignored. If you add the solid Rs and Ds together you'll find it is less than a majority of voters. Independents and moderates are the clear majority now. Your polls are useless and this is a last word I'm going to waste on you!" It wouldn't take my comment telling I had to go back to Facebook and log in -- say what? Obviously, they don't want any feedback. Arrogance! No, something is clearly wrong with the way polling is now being done in this social media/Internet age. I doubt if it will be fixed by November 2024. Simon Rosenberg's methods of analysis of the special elections etc. are quite valid and worth listening to and passing on to others. So glad we have the substack writers to keep us informed. Thank you Robert and Simon and Heather, etc. I'm half way through my 30 day test of turning off the media. So far, the only one I miss listening to is Lawrence O'Donnell because of the guests he has on his show. I have found it is better to wait a day and look at specific highlights of his show and others so you can skip all the catastrophizing about indictments, etc. Looks like the 30 day test is going to become permanent. While our brains react in the short term to the negative, in the long term we will follow to where there is a positive vision of our future. We, the People, all of us this time turning off the media to enhance our well-being and future.
Good to hear your voice again, Cathy!. Of course, I agree with everything you have said. I never give much credence to polls as they have often been incorrect. There are so many variables that these pundits don’t use, like Robert said, that drives me crazy. I too watch Lawrence on MSNBC, Rachel on Mondays, and Nicolle Wallace, along with Ari Melber and Joy Reid. I hear Jen Psaki will be taking a slot soon. Yes, those on Substack make me smarter and give me a thorough understanding of legalese.
Hi Marlene, I've been extremely busy between League of Women Voters and my income producing projects. Too tired to stay up so late even though I'm a night owl by nature. I haven't been impressed with Jen Psaki after the way she interviewed Bernie Sanders. It was an entrapment style interview that I don't like especially with someone like Bernie who is a good guy and making a lot of difference for the good in our politics.
Yes, I'm listening! Yes, she is incredible. And, in her late 20s! She has quite a career ahead of her. President in 2032 or 2036? We formerly young people need to hand the baton to her generation especially to people of integrity and competence like her.
Go Kathy! A pure beam of light in the Texas sky! I resonate with much that you say.
The car companies also created the Traffic Safety Institute or some such misnomer to "prove" that safety belts weren't really necessary, if I am remembering right. Ah, corporate truth!
60 Minutes tonight had a segment on Ukraine. It reminded me of the early days of the war when major networks regularly covered families, women and children, fleeing to neighboring countries, Russian attacks on various cities, Interviews with soldiers, analysis and compassionate coverage of the atrocities Russia was inflicting on the country. Now we see almost nothing. Is it any wonder support for the war effort has declined, especially among Republicans who rely on visual images rather than written accounts? Please, major networks: start covering the war in your reporting!
I had the very same thought after watching this. We need far more coverage of this war, in all its horror. Americans are far removed from the reality that Ukrainians are living through.
NEW YORK, NY – (September 11, 2023) – The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, a CNN Original, continues with the remarkable story of Ukrainian ballet dancers who faced the wrenching decision to either leave their homes and show the world the face of Ukrainian culture, or stay behind to continue performing in a war zone. Featuring reporting from CNN’s Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, “Ukraine: Dancing in Defiance” premieres on Sunday, September 17 at 8pm ET/PT. 🩰
Regarding Trump's accusation that Milley committed treason: Arguably Trump's outlandish behavior is getting worse. The press should pivot from jadedly ignoring Trump's behavior to investigating whether his threats and delusions are symptoms of dementia. His behavior (like his politics) is not normal.
Sep 25, 2023·edited Sep 25, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Yes, I totally agree. Instead of focusing on Biden's age, they need to be screaming to the rooftops about TFG's huge mental illness. No one of sound mind would be calling for the death of a former military Chief-of-staff. I would rather be living in a country headed by an older, experienced statesman than in one run by a three year younger raving murderous, psychotic lunatic!
Trumpenstein was in a gunshop yesterday, holding up a pistol instead of a Bible. He better buy it now as in some months, when a convicted felon, he won't pass the screening!
Federal law prohibits anyone who's under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from shipping, transporting or receiving a firearm or ammunition.
I agree that there is something wrong with him mentally. And there has been a progression. It is shocking how many people still, at this point, might vote for him. However, we have a year to go, and if this progression continues, perhaps others will notice and think twice about giving him the nuclear codes!
Sep 25, 2023·edited Sep 25, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Hey, Jenn. I watched Meet the Press yesterday mostly to see if the new moderator, Kristen Welker, redeemed herself from her debut performance of "interviewing" Trump last week. IMO, she did not!
Two things stood out for me. First, that they spent about 15-20 minutes talking about polls showing Biden and Trump were running neck-n-neck for the 2024 election. After reading Robert's admonition about ignoring the polls, I must say I was more amused by the display as Ms. Welker acted so engaged by the latest "findings."
Second, among her guests was South Carolina Rep Jim Clyburn. It was worth watching him assure the viewers that Biden was the better man for 2024. He said that was not only his opinion but that of most of Black America. Welker couldn't get a "gotcha" moment in during the entire interview!
My bedroom TV broke about a year ago and I bought a new one but never plugged it in. I've been using my IPad to listen to quality podcasts and watching movies on Prime.
It's an addiction from which I am sobering up. I would still watch Reliable Sources except it got canceled for talking back. That was a bad sign 13 months ago. No introspection for the media? Group Think!
At least when the Las Vegas odds makers lay odds for the result for a future sporting event they use the teams records to make a prediction. Election pollsters might try using a similar logic instead of ignoring recent special elections and current events. I believe this is why Simon Rosenberg got it right in 2022 and so many media organizations did not.
"The 2024 presidential election features two candidates who are surrogates for different visions of America: Democracy versus autocracy; liberty versus tyranny; dignity versus bigotry; science versus disinformation; personal autonomy versus subservience to Christian nationalism; sustainability versus ecological disaster; safety versus gun violence; global stability versus confrontational isolationism. All of that—and much more—is on the ballot in 2024. "
Robert, if you are going to make up a word: go for it! You did that in grand style.
Meet the Press this Sunday AM prompts me to double down: “lowest-common-denominator-ization”. Admittedly multiple hyphens may not make up a grammatically proper word, but they sure help describe a show I will no longer set my alarm clock for on Sunday!
I, too, will no longer be watching Meet the Press. Though, I did like hearing what Jim Clyburn had to say about President Biden...and he got no push-back from the "gotcha" moderator!
At Robert's suggestion, I submitted the following email to the three authors of the Washington Post article about their flawed polling:
Mr. Balz, Mr. Clement, and Ms. Guskin:
I am a physician and climate activist. I have had 125 letters to the editor published in 28 states since 5/2018, and am a serious reader of various media outlets.
The constant flood of poll results, over a year prior to the presidential election 11/2024, including this latest poll that you acknowledged was "an outlier", does not inform the voting public in a helpful way. It does the opposite.
Horse-race articles are a counterproductive distraction, and, in this case, it papers over the stark difference between a responsible leader and an unhinged, autocratic insurrectionist who just issued a thinly veiled call for the execution of General Milley.
Such reporting makes voters more susceptible to misinformation, resentment politics, and all the other rhetorical devices used by authoritarians like Trump to mislead voters into thinking that a self-obsessed elitist will go to bat for them.
This is irresponsible journalism since it fails in the primary mission of journalism.
According to the American Press Institute:
"The purpose of journalism is..to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments."
It is irresponsible and dangerous for news outlets to publish meaningless and misleading polls, which do not assist decision-making about candidates.
Consider these two lists:
BIDEN/Democrats TRUMP/Republicans
Democracy Autocracy
Dignity Debasement
Science Conspiracies, lies
Freedom of/from religion Subservience to evangelical Christianity
Sustainability Environmental degradation, climate crisis
Safety from gun violence Gun violence
These disparities are demonstrable fact. All three of you are well aware.
With every article, you should be asking, does this article obscure the stark differences represented in the above list (which could be much, much longer), which voters need to know?
Abandon the false equivalence, and the fantasy of balancing fact with fiction. That approach, and the free advertising it provided Trump in 2016, is what got him elected.
Excellent! Thanks for being proactive!
It's an honor, Mr. Hubbell. My son Peter, who did 2-years in the Peace Corps in Guinea, Africa, taught me a closing salutation in the local language, Pular, which means "We are together"; so I say, "Ko en gooto."
Excellent letter, Gary. Can you please provide us the email addresses of those three WaPo employees?
dan.balz@washpost.com
scott.clement@washpost.com
emily.guskin@washpost.com
SOOO helpful. Thank you! I find it so odd that WAPO published a poll, immediately calls its own poll inaccurate, then “declares” the race is even! So after saying their poll is bad, they announce the “right” answer based on????
Indeed, Cathy!
Just sent them all a short email
I am yanking my subscription to WAPO. Maybe NYT. Keeping the Guardian.
I've canceled with the NYT. Still receiving the WaPo (for now). I actually now (voluntarily) subscribe to "The Guardian", but sending a monthly donation. I hope that others will consider doing likewise. Only we can keep good journalism alive!
Bravo!
I am so glad you included "free advertising" in your letter. I felt on the edge of insanity in 2016 with the constant, incessant FREE air and FREE press given to that person.
Excellent. I hope you won't mind if I add it to a comment when I share this post of Robert's. I will cite simply "A commenter."
I encourage sharing whatever activism you find that you consider helpful, so, of course, share away. Gary
Thanks, Gary.
Great response and I hope they publish it. Don’t hold your breath they will change their policy
Thanks, just sent them an email.
Excellent! Thank you.
Thank you!
Bravo!
A small bit of hopefulness: one of my daughters lives in Mississippi and today she helped put on a fundraiser for Brandon Presley who’s trying to unseat the horrific Republican incumbent Tate Reeves. She called me afterwards - so excited. She was amazed at how many folks showed up, and how many of them she knew or thought were Republicans. She reported on many comments about being fed up with what the Republicans are doing- and not doing- these days, and how much the party has changed . Good signs are out there! Let’s support Presley too - can you imagine a Dem governor in MS? The folks there think its in reach. Wow.
Alexandra if all of our kids and grandkids and great grandkids, in my case, get out and ‘make good trouble’ we have a chance to keep the ship on course.
So folks, put your money and invest your time and effort on registration and follow up to get out the vote.
We all need to practice what you preach. My family ( daughter, son in law. 2 grandchildren ages 9 and 11), are proudly “woke.” I wear that mantle proudly if that actually means that I am aware of the trajectory this country is heading toward, and trying to do something about it. My grands have been engaging in civil protests from an earlier age. They live right on a street that was a pathway used by the National Guard on January 6 when they were finally called to go help and watched all the trucks go by. They’ve done their own posters like BOO GUNS. They’ve accompanied me to the Supreme Court twice to demonstrate for the ERA and against the anti abortion rulings, and gone with their parents to lay flowers when Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. It’s up to us to engage our kids and grandkids in this fight for the democracy they are going to inherit and the country they are going to live in.
Good for you and your g-kids, Ilene. Love BOO GUNS!
Ilene: I recently wrote the following in an email to a friend, addressing the word "woke":
I try to be as "woke" as possible, according to the definition found in Wikipedia:
"Woke is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning 'alert to racial prejudice and discrimination'. Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as sexism and LGBT rights."
So, that means:
1) Alert to racial prejudice and discrimination
2) Awareness of social inequities such as sexism and LGBT rights.
To be anti-woke, therefore, as a conscious policy, means endorsing racism, sexism and bigotry toward the LGBGT community.
That formulation makes those who embrace being anti-woke on the wrong side of what's right, according to any ethical standard or moral code worth considering.
Being Woke messes with their arrogance, ignorance, and belligerence. It holds up the mirror to their ugliness. They don't like what they see so they blame the mirror.
Along with my own interpretation in my comment, our family clearly fits this definition. My daughter’s family lives this in their work choices and support of family members in the LBGTQ community.
Thanks for the wonderful report from the field! And great work by your daughter!
Yours is very exciting news, Alexandra! Keep us posted, please.
Mr. Presley was a guest on Markers for Democracy's zoom meeting last Friday, and, be still my heart, he was wonderful! He was very open about being a Christian, and for the first time since learning all about the sham of Christian Nationalism, I heard the actual teachings of Jesus reflected in the words of a politician. I made a small donation to his campaign and I look forward to postcarding as soon as it's organized. Here's his website: https://www.brandonpresley.com/
Are there federal laws against threatening government officials? More specifically, US military members? If so, Trump should promptly be arraigned for violating those laws.
Also, Judge Chutkan and DA Fani Willis must crack down on Trump by (among other things) moving up the date of his trial. Trump will react positively only to palpable punishments.
Hopefully, Judge Chutkan will do so this week. I'm not sure if this threat to Mark Milley will be covered by this judge. But I wish Trump would just leave the country, move to somewhere unknown, and never be heard from again!
Milley may be on Jack Smith's witness list. So his motion for protective order may extend to Milley. Even so, Trump is polluting the jury pool!
That would be great! I'll be watching today and this week to see what happens in Judge Chutkan's court.
If he can call down the firing squad for the top general, what could he or his mob do to an ordinary person on a jury? Polluting indeed....
Oh such blessed silence! No more sound and fury, signifying nothing...
I am smiling as I think of Trump reacting positively to any punishment, limit, boundary, or consequence. Not going to happen. He is abnormal and perverse. Limits will only provoke more grandiosity and hubris, which he is clearly engaging in to test the judges and the institution of the Law. I think they are giving him rope and will at some point have to respond. It will continue to fail to restrict him. Eventually they would have to jail him and muzzle him - - which is maybe exactly what this bloated martyr wants. Will be wild!
If Federal judges and Fani Willis hit Trump with fines that sharply escalate after each infraction, it will get his attention. He *hates* to lose money.
A judge in New York today found Trump committed fraud in valuing his properties and, under the applicable NY law, has stripped Trump companies of the right to do business in the state.
Among other things, that will make Trump watch his wallet.
Thank you Robert.
I had just encountered the WaPo poll article. And was not a happy camper.
I feel better after reading your post.
I just wrote a veiled but scathing comment on WaPo after reviewing the title and sub-title of their poll article. (That was as far as I got)l
I will now go back and write a second comment asking why are they not reporting in Trump’s call to
execute Miley.
As for polls, I have said it over and over and over.
There are lies, damn lies, statistics, and then there are polls.
Your last line: superb!
And now this from the WaPo’s Olivier Knox column this morning:
“Forget that new WaPo/ABC poll for a minute. Forget all the polls for a minute.”
No problem Mr Knox. Done and dusted. Already forgotten. And not just for a minute, but for all eternity.
Why the heck did WaPo publish the darn thing?
Nothing to see here. Moving on.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/25/forget-polls-its-packed-week-politics/
Polls poison the discourse.
Lazy journalists love polls.
Setting aside the fact that 2023 special election results are a far greater indicator than polling data over a year out from the 2024 election, I write principally to note the urgency, in my view, of Democrats not only sharpening how they message their achievements and aspirations but also how they proceed to disqualify the opposition by beating back the lies, the falsehoods, the hatred, and the divisiveness, within which it traffics.
Just like special elections in 2022 belied the "red wave" in the polls - - but the liberal media and DNC swallowed the bait and expected the worst. Result: losing the House, Vance instead of Ryan in Ohio, etc etc. That didn't work out so well.
I love "Reject their infotaintmentization of politics. Ignore the polls. If you can’t ignore the polls, tell irresponsible media outlets what you think by posting comments on offending articles, write letters to the editor, and send emails to the journalists." This brings us back to the good work of the Media and Democracy Project. Get MAD!
https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/about
I also love Robert's comprehensive list:
"The 2024 presidential election features two candidates who are surrogates for different visions of America: Democracy versus autocracy; liberty versus tyranny; dignity versus bigotry; science versus disinformation; personal autonomy versus subservience to Christian nationalism; sustainability versus ecological disaster; safety versus gun violence; global stability versus confrontational isolationism. All of that—and much more—is on the ballot in 2024."
Thanks, Ellie!
Love it too!
How about "Infotainmentesque" or "Infotainmentophilia" as variants? Lol
Thank you, Robert, for another excellent Newsletter. I, for one, pay no attention to polls. I know that I am voting for the Democratic ticket in Virginia’s election of State officials, and that I will vote for the Democratic ticket in the National election.
Who do these companies poll? They don’t call me or anyone that I know. Do they poll the same people every time, do they get a list of registered voters and poll them? I have no faith in the pills because they are not being done to improve our election process or to educate our citizens. They are being done to increase readership of papers and to increase television viewing.
As for Trump stating that General Milley should be hanged as a traitor, the opposite is true. He should receive a medal for maintaining world peace in a dangerous time. Donald Trump is the traitor. After all, he brought about the insurrection to attempt to overthrow our government. Perhaps he is the one who should receive the penalty he wants to impose on General Milley.
Yes!
DJT is the traitor. He deserves the death penalty - or life in prison NOW, not 2-3 years from now.
I think that life in prison would be the best punishment. No more spray tans, no more special hair stylists, orange jumpsuits, and no golf!!! LOL!!!
No boxes... Lol
Now if not 1/7/21...
Trump IS the traitor! Insurrectionist...
Nothing broke my heart more than seeing that scrawny Duck Dynasty jerk with the Confederate flag inside the Capitol.
Deplorable, anyone?
Please everyone, follow Rob’s advice: “ tell irresponsible media outlets what you think by posting comments on offending articles, write letters to the editor, and send emails to the journalists.”
I write almost weekly to the NYTimes (all the news that’s fit for profit) and WaPo ( Democracy dies in the darkness they are creating). There are egregious examples daily, often many - misleading headlines, lack of any meaningful context, fear mongering, ignoring important stories, promoting worthless ones, false equivalencies, and on and on.
They need to hear from us - in huge numbers - enough to make them pay attention and change.
I agree, Alexandra. Constant encouragement is necessary - I do letter-writing promotion with Citizens' Climate Lobby, and I hear so often from people who are knowledgeable and literate that they don't think they can write a good letter to the editor. But they totally could! Communicating respectfully, even if critically, directly with the journalists, a Robert recommended, doesn't even require letter-writing skill - just tell them what you think - simple! Good for you for keeping at it - you never know when that one additional remark will trigger a change in attitude or approach.
Here is the 538 rating on pollsters: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/pollster-ratings Wow! It gives the Washington Post/ABC an A for its polls! (up through 2022) Just tried to write a comment to them: "Looks like your poll ratings are way behind the times - 2022. Even the WaPo/ABC calls its most recent poll on the Biden / Trump "race" an outliner. I would give this poll an F! And, most other polls on that "race" Ds and Fs. There is something very wrong with the way polls are being done now. Reminds me of the Tobacco companies claiming how safe cigarettes were. Corporate money paying for polls that come out the way that helps their ratings, right! Polls are being done by media corporations that are looking for ratings not truth! I'm no longer watching the corporate biased news nor am I paying any attention to the polls. Ask any woman last year whether they believed that the impact of Dobbs would die away in a few weeks! I never believed the Red wave because I knew how angry women were. And, they are still being ignored. If you add the solid Rs and Ds together you'll find it is less than a majority of voters. Independents and moderates are the clear majority now. Your polls are useless and this is a last word I'm going to waste on you!" It wouldn't take my comment telling I had to go back to Facebook and log in -- say what? Obviously, they don't want any feedback. Arrogance! No, something is clearly wrong with the way polling is now being done in this social media/Internet age. I doubt if it will be fixed by November 2024. Simon Rosenberg's methods of analysis of the special elections etc. are quite valid and worth listening to and passing on to others. So glad we have the substack writers to keep us informed. Thank you Robert and Simon and Heather, etc. I'm half way through my 30 day test of turning off the media. So far, the only one I miss listening to is Lawrence O'Donnell because of the guests he has on his show. I have found it is better to wait a day and look at specific highlights of his show and others so you can skip all the catastrophizing about indictments, etc. Looks like the 30 day test is going to become permanent. While our brains react in the short term to the negative, in the long term we will follow to where there is a positive vision of our future. We, the People, all of us this time turning off the media to enhance our well-being and future.
Good to hear your voice again, Cathy!. Of course, I agree with everything you have said. I never give much credence to polls as they have often been incorrect. There are so many variables that these pundits don’t use, like Robert said, that drives me crazy. I too watch Lawrence on MSNBC, Rachel on Mondays, and Nicolle Wallace, along with Ari Melber and Joy Reid. I hear Jen Psaki will be taking a slot soon. Yes, those on Substack make me smarter and give me a thorough understanding of legalese.
Hi Marlene, I've been extremely busy between League of Women Voters and my income producing projects. Too tired to stay up so late even though I'm a night owl by nature. I haven't been impressed with Jen Psaki after the way she interviewed Bernie Sanders. It was an entrapment style interview that I don't like especially with someone like Bernie who is a good guy and making a lot of difference for the good in our politics.
Maybe Psaki is a pod person, too, now...
We have to fight poll-ution!
I am ready to move to Barbieland😊
I never was a fan of Barbie even as a little girl. My favorite doll was my Annie Oakley doll! A real woman not just big boobs. LOL!
Try to find a song called "Ken" by a musician named Stew. I predict you will be howling laughing. An epic song of diversity!
Cassidy H on Lawrence tonight. She's amazing...
Yes, I'm listening! Yes, she is incredible. And, in her late 20s! She has quite a career ahead of her. President in 2032 or 2036? We formerly young people need to hand the baton to her generation especially to people of integrity and competence like her.
I was thinking the same thing! PRESIDENT, for sure!!!
Go Kathy! A pure beam of light in the Texas sky! I resonate with much that you say.
The car companies also created the Traffic Safety Institute or some such misnomer to "prove" that safety belts weren't really necessary, if I am remembering right. Ah, corporate truth!
60 Minutes tonight had a segment on Ukraine. It reminded me of the early days of the war when major networks regularly covered families, women and children, fleeing to neighboring countries, Russian attacks on various cities, Interviews with soldiers, analysis and compassionate coverage of the atrocities Russia was inflicting on the country. Now we see almost nothing. Is it any wonder support for the war effort has declined, especially among Republicans who rely on visual images rather than written accounts? Please, major networks: start covering the war in your reporting!
I had the very same thought after watching this. We need far more coverage of this war, in all its horror. Americans are far removed from the reality that Ukrainians are living through.
NEW YORK, NY – (September 11, 2023) – The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, a CNN Original, continues with the remarkable story of Ukrainian ballet dancers who faced the wrenching decision to either leave their homes and show the world the face of Ukrainian culture, or stay behind to continue performing in a war zone. Featuring reporting from CNN’s Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, “Ukraine: Dancing in Defiance” premieres on Sunday, September 17 at 8pm ET/PT. 🩰
https://app.frame.io/presentations/f7844f7b-78f5-406d-b4bb-9c9a9a825bc0
Like in Vietnam era... That shook things up!
Regarding Trump's accusation that Milley committed treason: Arguably Trump's outlandish behavior is getting worse. The press should pivot from jadedly ignoring Trump's behavior to investigating whether his threats and delusions are symptoms of dementia. His behavior (like his politics) is not normal.
True: Arguably Trump's outlandish behavior is getting worse. He is spiraling!
Spiraling downward!
Yes, I totally agree. Instead of focusing on Biden's age, they need to be screaming to the rooftops about TFG's huge mental illness. No one of sound mind would be calling for the death of a former military Chief-of-staff. I would rather be living in a country headed by an older, experienced statesman than in one run by a three year younger raving murderous, psychotic lunatic!
Consider my free newsletter Len's Political Notes. Subscribe at https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Trumpenstein was in a gunshop yesterday, holding up a pistol instead of a Bible. He better buy it now as in some months, when a convicted felon, he won't pass the screening!
Federal law prohibits anyone who's under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from shipping, transporting or receiving a firearm or ammunition.
I agree that there is something wrong with him mentally. And there has been a progression. It is shocking how many people still, at this point, might vote for him. However, we have a year to go, and if this progression continues, perhaps others will notice and think twice about giving him the nuclear codes!
He is quite mentally ill. See revised edition of "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump".
Perhaps 100 million Americans can't see it, or see it but don't care. Is it a cult or an addiction? Or both?
Woman... Man... Person... Camera... TV!
I never watch the "Sunday shows". They are performative or gotcha moments and not worth my time.
Hey, Jenn. I watched Meet the Press yesterday mostly to see if the new moderator, Kristen Welker, redeemed herself from her debut performance of "interviewing" Trump last week. IMO, she did not!
Two things stood out for me. First, that they spent about 15-20 minutes talking about polls showing Biden and Trump were running neck-n-neck for the 2024 election. After reading Robert's admonition about ignoring the polls, I must say I was more amused by the display as Ms. Welker acted so engaged by the latest "findings."
Second, among her guests was South Carolina Rep Jim Clyburn. It was worth watching him assure the viewers that Biden was the better man for 2024. He said that was not only his opinion but that of most of Black America. Welker couldn't get a "gotcha" moment in during the entire interview!
"Findings"... Sounds like "Droppings"! Lol
Poll-ution...
Lazy journalists love polls...
Maybe mainstream media is trying to clean house so Trump won't arrest them in January 2025...
I had the same thought about the MSM, Harvey!
I stopped watching television 15 months ago. I still have Directv, and perhaps one of these days I will tune in again, or maybe not.
We moved to NC and left the TV. No regrets.
My bedroom TV broke about a year ago and I bought a new one but never plugged it in. I've been using my IPad to listen to quality podcasts and watching movies on Prime.
Ahhhh.....
It's an addiction from which I am sobering up. I would still watch Reliable Sources except it got canceled for talking back. That was a bad sign 13 months ago. No introspection for the media? Group Think!
My hope is that all of this misinformation from the MSM will drive people to vote, who might otherwise not have bothered!
At least when the Las Vegas odds makers lay odds for the result for a future sporting event they use the teams records to make a prediction. Election pollsters might try using a similar logic instead of ignoring recent special elections and current events. I believe this is why Simon Rosenberg got it right in 2022 and so many media organizations did not.
Great point!!
Except at a race track or Bowl game you don't have the Electoral College to mess with the numbers...
This is the essence of our election.
"The 2024 presidential election features two candidates who are surrogates for different visions of America: Democracy versus autocracy; liberty versus tyranny; dignity versus bigotry; science versus disinformation; personal autonomy versus subservience to Christian nationalism; sustainability versus ecological disaster; safety versus gun violence; global stability versus confrontational isolationism. All of that—and much more—is on the ballot in 2024. "
One wonders about those with an appetite for tyranny, chaos, violence, disaster, bigotry, etc. My oh my... We got trouble!
Robert, if you are going to make up a word: go for it! You did that in grand style.
Meet the Press this Sunday AM prompts me to double down: “lowest-common-denominator-ization”. Admittedly multiple hyphens may not make up a grammatically proper word, but they sure help describe a show I will no longer set my alarm clock for on Sunday!
Ha! Love it!
I, too, will no longer be watching Meet the Press. Though, I did like hearing what Jim Clyburn had to say about President Biden...and he got no push-back from the "gotcha" moderator!
Yes,oh for the days of Tim Russert on Meet the Press.I don’t bother with it anymore.
Chuck Nod was torture... Definitely hacks... The Second-stringerization of MTP! Lol!
Hyphenate away!
Fantastic!