Trouble with Polls

The instant example of polling shortfalls is the current measurement of polls focused on President Biden’s popularity. Polling results are affected by many factors. Popularity is the primary one.

Biden is president at a very bad time. Global warming clouds our future. Some believe this is true while a huge minority believes otherwise. To them it is a political issue and ideological. Gun violence is another hot topic. Is the answer gun control? Oh, don’t raise that question, it is one hot political topic that buries both the pro and the con positions. Inflation is another issue that perplexes the people. Who is responsible for this? How can it be controlled? Why haven’t we done something about it?

And so it goes. So many topics. So many opinions. And yet, the facts are otherwise, aren’t they?

A President of the USA may have a lot of power, but making law is not one of them. Congress does that. Deciding if the law is good and correct, is the job of the court system, not the President. No, the President does two things: follows the laws, facts and circumstances he is dealt, and leads.

Leads is a slippery deal. It involves doing the right thing at the right time when circumstances dictate it. Those actions, however, are not popular. And most of the time the options are very poor ones, options, by the way, created by others wishing to embarrass the sitting President.

Leadership exists to change the script. It is the effort to change minds and build cooperation for better solutions for the people’s benefit. That leadership is hard work and often faces enormous odds for success.

Biden is the President at a time cleaning up a mess created by his predecessor is job one. Other problems were inappropriately managed by a string of predecessors. Those demand attention as well. None of this work is popular. All of it is important. To all of us.

The polls measure dissatisfaction with circumstances and conditions. Biden didn’t create any of it. But he sure is in the spot where people think he has the power to change it. He doesn’t have that power. But that doesn’t make any difference to the pollster or the poll-ee. They are only reacting to something they cannot control. 

If I were polled, I would give Biden high marks for dealing with an unmanageable mess. I would also question if his age were a factor for re-election. In my book, it is. But that doesn’t affect my support for the man he is and the brave soul he has to face an unremitting, thankless job.

I give him an A for effort.

July 15, 2022

 

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