Stupid poll on polls

So some guy calls you on the phone.  He doesn't know you from Adam's House Cat.  He asks you a few questions about very important matters.  You answer him.  And now our elected officials should make critical decisions based on your answers?  Well, sure, according to...a NEW POLL! 

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney says he doesn't listen to public opinion polls; public opinion polls say Dick Cheney (and other politicians) should listen to public opinion polls. But how do you convince a politician that he should -- according to the people -- listen to public opinion polls when he doesn't believe in them?

In an interview aired March 19 on ABC News, Cheney said he did not listen to public opinion polls; however, a new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe government leaders should pay attention to public opinion polls and that the public should generally have more influence over government leaders than it does.

This latest poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org is part of a larger international research project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. The study was conducted Jan. 18-27 on a total of 975 Americans by Knowledge Networks. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. Here's what they found:

When it comes to making an important decision, 81 percent say government leaders "should pay attention to public opinion polls because this will help them get a sense of the public's views." But that is assuming government leaders really care what the public thinks, especially when they are not up for re-election.

While I certainly agree our representatives, including the President, should LISTEN to what we have to say, deciding policy based on anonymous polls is just plain stupid.  Calling, writing, faxing, and emailing our representatives are all very effective ways to let them know how we feel.  That usually involves stating our case which lets them know we have some sort of clue what we're talking about.  It certainly worked during the immigration debate.  Of course that requires pro-action, not just sitting around the house one day and answering the phone.  pomom's comment at Lucianne sums it up nicely:

Why would you run a Government of over 200 million people based on what 1200 goobers tell you over the phone? 

Comments

[Don]

“….. a new poll finds that… the public should generally have more influence over government leaders than it does.”

There are many times when I think the voters could do a better job of actually running government than our elected officials do. For example, the Alabama legislature has refused for years to pass needed reform and accountability legislation. That’s why I have a project of trying to help Alabama become the 25th Initiative and Referendum state.

In 1912 Theodore Roosevelt said, "…..the initiative and referendum should be used, not as substitutes for representative government, but as methods of making such government really representative. Action by the initiative or referendum ought not to be the normal way of legislation; but the power to take it should be provided in the constitution, so that if the representatives fail truly to represent the people on some matter of sufficient importance to rouse popular interest, then the people shall have in their hands the facilities to make good the failure."

I think most Alabamians would say that our legislature has failed to represent us on numerous matters.

For several years Representative Mike Ball has introduced a constitutional amendment that would give Alabamians an initiative process if the legislature, our governor, and Alabama voters approved it.

It would provide a way for Alabama voters to put real reform and accountability legislation on a ballot if our legislature continues to refuse to do it. Such legislation would bypass both the legislature and the governor and be on a ballot for us to accept or reject at the polls. This bill was approved by the appropriate House committee this year.

However, a majority of our legislators oppose this bill because it would give us a voice in our government and diminish their grasp on power to a small degree.

Knowing this, Representative Ball is not likely to ask that his bill be debated on the floor of the House of Representatives only to be voted down, unless voters and media all across Alabama stop just complaining about our government and do something constructive to change it.

In this instance voters should contact the two legislators who represent them and tell them to actively work to see that this bill is passed or face the real possibility of losing all of their power at the polls in 2010, and media should send the same message to all legislators.

If Ball senses that there’s a grassroots demand to pass his bill he may ask that it be debated on the floor, and if the demand is loud enough the bill might actually be passed and made a part of our constitution.

I urge every Alabama voter who reads this to contact the two members who represent them in THEIR legislature NOW and to tell them to work to pass Ball's bill, HB423, NOW, or face being voted out of office in 2010, and to urge every Alabama voter they know to do likewise.

mad_cow may now have her soap box back, with my thanks for allowing me to use it.

[mad_cow]

I'm glad you posted, Don. I would love to see this legislation passed, as I think most Alabamians would. For some reason, most of us are too lazy, busy, or whatever, to get off our backsides and do something about it.

Also, has the rally for tomorrow re: illegal immigration legislation been canceled? I don't see anything about it on Matt Murphy's website. I haven't been able to listen to his show recently. Do you know?

[Don]

Julie, I haven't had time to listen to either Murphy or Jackson the last few days, but the last time I checked their websites there were very few people who had committed to go to the rally, so I assume it fizzled out. I'll try to listen to Jackson this morning to see if I hear anything further.