Frightening "Awareness" numbers from latest ARG polls

[krkaufman]

Here's some frightening data from the latest ARG polling for TN/VA/WI showing how negligent is the media coverage of the race.

The values below reflect what percentage of the respondents answered "Yes" to the following question:

"Have you ever heard of (NAME) before?"

_TN__VA__WI _
99% 100% 98% - Howard Dean
99% 100% 98% - John Kerry
77% 87% 91% - John Edwards
73% 86% 86% - Wesley Clark
62% 72% 64% - Al Sharpton
48% 63% 53% - Dennis Kucinich

100% name recognition for Kerry & Dean, with 10-15% drop for Edwards/Clark, and ridiculous numbers for Sharpton and Kucinich. And then factor in the tone of the media coverage for each candidate and we have a Kerry landslide.

Yeah, tell me that people are voting based purely on the issues, and that the media bias has no effect.

---

edit: Poll info...

http://www.americanresearchgroup.com

"These results are based on 600 completed telephone interviews among a statewide random sample of registered voters in (STATE) saying they (have already or) will definitely vote in the Democratic presidential preference primary on (DATE). The interviews were conducted February 4 through 6, 2004. The theoretical margin of error for the total sample of 600 is plus or minus 4 percentage points, 95% of the time, on questions where opinion is evenly split."

[NV1962]

1. Sorry but... Who are you?

What's your point?

And what am I doing here? Ack, and with no clothes on?

[Newsjock]

2. This actually seems like progress

It wasn't that long ago that the media were full of stories that some large portion of Americans couldn't name any Democratic candidates.

[MurikanDemocrat]

3. Your poll does not necessarily reflect VOTERS

Got a link?

It's common knowledge that most Americans don't vote in the GE, and even fewer participate in the primaries. Not all Americans pay attention to political coverage. Sad but true.

You have provided no proof that these numbers represent people who are VOTING. I'm inclined to believe this is a random sample of the population that includes people who are not paying attention to the primaries at all, or participating at the polls.

[krkaufman]

8. Updated

The original post has been updated with the requested information. And, as you can see, the poll is specific to those intending to vote -- or so they responded.

As for "proof", it's just polling data; so don't be afraid of it. The numbers are... what the numbers are.

[MurikanDemocrat]

13. I don't see this survey anywhere in that link provided

[BootinUp]

14. You have to click on the state links

http://americanresearchgroup.com/tn/
http://americanresearchgroup.com/va/
http://americanresearchgroup.com/wi/

[eileen_d]

4. I can't believe that people have heard of the frontrunner!

I don't think anyone would claim people are voting based purely on the issues, or that media bias has absolutely no effect. But the reverse isn't true either. It's not black-and-white.

[FubarFly]

5. I won't, because, it does.

Live by the uniformed voter, die by the.. well you know the rest.

The media controls Kerry's fate just as thoroughly as they did Dean's.

Two hundred million dollars+, can buy a lot of coverage...

not that this is anything new.

[buckeye1]

6. Dean.

Most people find Dean unqualified. That is why he is losing. He needs to quit now.

[SoCalDem]

7. Anyone with a televison would be have to be blind & deaf to NOT

recognize those names..:)

Now if they asked what their stands on the issues were, that would be another story:)

[BootinUp]

9. Looks to me like its over

Judging from TN,VA, and WI numbers there, I don't think Kerry can be stopped.

[ShaneGR]

10. OMG, people know who are top candidates are? Bad media!

Gees.

[patricia92243]

11. Won't it be wonderful if part of the original 13 colonies does it again -

save our nation and give it a future by putting Gov. Dean in as our President.

God bless the USA and God bless the South.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

12. This is the media at work.

Face it, the polls are mainly driven by name recognition first and issues second.

It is a snowball effect. The media starts covering someone, they go up in the polls. That leads to more coverage which leads to better name recognition. Thus leading to better polling. The cycle continues. Throw in a bit of rhetoric here and there and we have ourselves a nominee.

Oh sure the issues have a small effect, but if your stance on them is never revealed to the public, then it has little bearing on how well they remember your name.


TWL

[blm]

15. Are there AWARENESS numbers from last December to compare?

That might be illuminating.