[Today's insult.]
President Obama was out stumping for his health care bill in Ohio today. In the conclusion of his speech, he told the crowd that he would ignore the polls and do what the people want:
"The American people want to know if it’s still possible for Washington to look out for these interests, for their future. So what they’re looking for is some courage. They’re waiting for us to act. They’re waiting for us to lead. They don’t want us putting our finger out to the wind. They don’t want us reading polls. They want us to look and see what is the best thing for America, and then do what’s right. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership."
What are the polls but an expression of what the American people want? It is one thing to say that the polls are wrong or that the people have been misled. But to say the American people want us to ignore the polls is to say the American people want us to ignore what they say.
As it happens, last week IBD published a profile of the late George Gallup, founder of his namesake polling company. In researching the story, I struck by a quote I came across of Gallup defending his profession from critics in Washington.
He always had a high opinion of public opinion. (Gallup poll editor-in-chief Frank) Newport related how after politicians said they didn’t listen to polls, Gallup responded, “Well, just substitute the ‘polls’ with the ‘public.’ They are saying they shouldn’t listen to the people who elected them.”
Seems like Democratic pollsters’ intervention with Obama and the congressional Democrats over health care didn’t work...
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