Obama’s 63% approval rating, and the lost art of math….

What’s the Gallup Poll headline in question?

Americans Approve of Most Obama Actions to Date
Widespread support for decisions on ethics reform, interrogations, fuel standards

If you are one of those time strapped humans, you think life is rolling merrily along, and the Obama admin is doing great, yes?

Wrong. Have a gander at what you missed if you didn’t read further than the headline.

Dissecting now…

Approve of “envoys” to Middle East. Uh… is this the same group that couldn’t even identify Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and other prominent US Congress members? How seriously can I take their opinions on someone like George Mitchell? Are they even aware of who the envoys are? Or, for that matter, what an “envoy” is??

How about “tightening the ethics rules for administration officials? ” Well criminy… who the heck *wouldn’t* be for tightening the rules. But were these responders aware of the same Obama who vowed “no lobbyists in my administration”, then promptly made an exception for William Lynn, as a deputy Secy of Defense under Gates?

Perhaps, before they asked that question, they should have asked “do you know who William Lynn is?” That way, we would have a clue as to how many in this poll were genuinely clueless.

Then there’s that “limiting interrogation techniques” bit…. Back in 2005, Americans – plus those in Britain, France and S. Korea had broad approval of terrorist torture in rare instances.

I would say that… if our very survival or a potential terror attack depended on it… they would say the same today.

But that’s not what Gallup asked, is it? It was a yes or no… all or nothing type scene. They asked if you believe you should limit the interrogation techiques.. not allow them “in rare instances” where it might be deemed necessary.

And yet the Obama admin and Dem Congress have attempted to portray this EO on interrogation as eliminating some wide spread, nefarious action under the Bush administation. (Excepting the reality of the fine print they don’t advertise..)

Point is, for all Obama’s posturing, the policy remains the same… sorta. It’s not widespread, but it’s sure not going to be tossed out the window completely… just as in the Bush years. Okay… well perhaps the Bush admin didn’t make it a photo op to “pretend” to get rid of harsh interrogation methods….

So what is the average American supposed to say? But of course, no one wants to use torture and harsh interrogation as the norm, fer heavens sake.

Fuel standards? But of course. If you believe that Congress saying “make cars that get 50-60mpg” actually translates into that ability…and doesn’t drop the quality and performance of your car…. well, dang, who wouldn’t? But as the “digital TV” wars have proven, just because Congress mandates that NTSC disappears in favor of HD by 2006… oops, make that Feb 2009… oops, make that later this summer… that doesn’t make it so. And I haven’t even begun to approach how much this cost facilities to do – from production and post production thru broadcast stations. Cash they will only be able to recoup by passing it along to us… the end users.. in increased costs for cable or dish service.

And if you believe that government mandates are the reason for technological improvements, then boy do I have a bridge to sell ya!

Then there’s that allowing for workers who are “discrimated against”… in someone’s view, at least… to sue for pay discrimation. Hang… you might as well ask someone to admit they don’t believe in peace and goodwill on earth. Who would say no to such a generic “right” to legal recourse? But of course they can’t translate this to increased costs for business… like, for instance, say our health care under constant litigation assault?

Now we’ve taken care of the Lily Ledbetter BS bill, and other crap that passes as accomplishments in the media’s eye for the new adminstration.

But look at the biggies… all the way at the bottom and not included in the headline.

Closing Gitmo with the stroke of an EO pen: only 44% approval. Eliminating Bush’s ban on int’l funding for the abortion with a stroke of the EO pen? Only 35% approve.

These two events – neither one subject to Congressional or the nation’s discussion or opinions – are perhaps those that are most understood, and most important to the US citizen. And yet the Gallup headling poll throws in the other comments and the consensus is overwheming approval?

But it’s a game of math only. The trick is it’s all about an average. Ask seven questions… (five most wouldn’t have an intelligent clue about…) and you get a 63.57% average for an “approval rating”. Does that number sound familiar?

Now how about if they asked the two questions Americans cared most about? Gitmo closing, and overseas abortion spending? It’s an average approval rating of 39.5 %. Now ain’t that a different ball game altogether, eh? Don’t think that would do much for the “hope” filled, prozac laden, Obama supporting citizen, right?

Welcome to the crap that creates historic poll records. ad nauseum…

You might be able to pull this off on a class of 2nd graders. But not here. This type of headline is not only insulting to our intelligence, it’s an affront to reality. And frankly, Gallup should be ashamed to the core.