NH Poll, Dems Agree W/ John Edwards on The Issues!

[DaLittle Kitty]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steven_l_080105_new_hampshire_primar.htm
January 5, 2008
New Hampshire Primary - Democrats agree with John Edwards on the Issues

By Steven Leser
Whenever I see a big surprise happen in politics like Obama’s win in Iowa, I start researching to find out why it happened and what are some of the characteristics of the event. With only a few days until the New Hampshire primary, it doesn’t make as much sense to look backward. Instead, I want to know why people are supporting each of the top three candidates in New Hampshire. What is it about each candidate that is gaining a person’s vote?

I found something interesting from the cross tabs of the latest Zogby poll. When we see polls on television or online or in the print media, we usually only get to see one small part of the poll results. Of course it is interesting to find out the overall support at a particular point in time, but not getting to see the rest is a shame because the rest of the responses tell us a lot more about what is really happening that leads to that support.

The latest Zogby poll has an interesting question. It has a question that asks, “Which of the following reasons best explains why you plan to vote for…” And offers the responder five choices plus Other and None Selected. Of the top three Democratic Candidates, only Edwards has a majority who are voting for him because they “Agree with him/her on the issues”. 55.3% of Edwards supporters are voting for him because they agree with him on the issues compared to 38% for Obama and 35% for Clinton. The only other question that received a lot of percentage response for any of the top three was “He/She is the best person for the job”. As expected, Clinton won that response handily (over 50%) as she has been pushing the idea that she has the most experience. Obama and Edwards both trailed her considerably within 10 points of each other.

Its not just ‘Change’ it’s ‘What KIND of Change’

The “Agree with him/her on the issues” is an important question that is particularly critical to Edwards and Obama because they are both running to be the candidates of change. If you are going to be the candidate of change and expect to have people vote for you on that basis, wouldn’t you think that would mean that people who are voting for you are doing so because they agree with you on the issues? If not, might it not be a strong indication that they are voting out of response to hype instead of because of the facts?

For what sort of change are you voting if you are not voting with a candidate with whom you agree on the issues?

This Zogby poll tells me that people in New Hampshire who are voting for someone because they agree with what a candidate will do on the issues are voting for John Edwards. There are a lot of political orators throughout history who have excited people. Some of them have been good politicians, some bad and everything in between. Where people got in trouble is when they voted for someone who was exciting without carefully examining the policy positions behind that excitement. When people in this election examine these detailed policy positions, the person that gets their support is John Edwards.

[Triana]

1. K & R! (n/t)

[thesubstanceofdreams]

2. You're reading the poll incorrectly

38% of Obama voters are voting for him primarily because they agree with him on the issues. BUT, that doesn't mean that the other Obama voters don't agree with Obama on the issues - simply that it's not the main reason why they are voting for him. Likely, it could be that many Edwards voters agree with Obama on the issues as well, but they are still supporting Edwards (possibly for other reasons).

Also, keep in mind 38% of Obama voters is roughly the same as 55% of Edwards' voters in that poll (since Obama gets more votes).

The poll didn't ask all democratic voters who do they agree the most on the issues. Therefore you can't conclude, from this poll, that a majority agrees with Edwards'.

[onehandle]

3. Who? TeeVee never mentions this Edwards guy. nt

[DaLittle Kitty]

4. This IS of Course PURPOSEFUL IN NATURE, As "The Voice of Corporate America" The MSM,

Defends The Status Quo! :nuke:

[bunnies]

5. Fun with math

So if we take the latest Rasmussen poll Obama 37, Clinton 27, Edwards 19... its safe to say that of all likely NH Democratic voters:

10.5% Agree with Edwards on the issues.
14.1% Agree with Obama. And...
9.5% Agree with Clinton.

Headline correction: Edwards supporters agree with Edwards on the issues. Not as dramatic when put that way though.

[bvar22]

6. The MAJORITY of Americans (Democrat & Republican)

agree with Edwards/Kucinich on The ISSUES


Here is what the MAJORITY of Americans (Democrats AND Republicans) want from OUR government!

In recent polls by the Pew Research Group, the Opinion Research Corporation, the Wall Street Journal, and CBS News, the American majority has made clear how it feels. Look at how the majority feels about some of the issues that you'd think would be gospel to a real Democratic Party:

1. 65 percent (of ALL Americans, Democrats AND Republicans) say the government should guarantee health insurance for everyone -- even if it means raising taxes.

2. 86 percent favor raising the minimum wage (including 79 percent of selfdescribed "social conservatives").

3. 60 percent favor repealing either all of Bush's tax cuts or at least those cuts that went to the rich.

4. 66 percent would reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

5. 77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

6. 87 percent think big oil corporations are gouging consumers, and 80 percent (including 76 percent of Republicans) would support a windfall profits tax on the oil giants if the revenues went for more research on alternative fuels.

7. 69 percent agree that corporate offshoring of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy (78 percent of "disaffected" voters think this), and only 22% believe offshoring is good because "it keeps costs down."

http://alternet.org/story/29788/

8. Over 63% oppose the War on the Iraqi People.

9. 92% of ALL Americans support TRANSPARENT, VERIFIABLE elections!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x446445

The above numbers are over two years old. Due to the failing economy and the blatant excesses of Corporate CEO greed, especially in the Helath Insurance Industry (the ones HillBama will "invite" to the table) todays numbers would be even more Populist!


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone