Polls and Leadership
"Nothing is more obstinate than a fashionable consensus."
--- Margaret Thatcher
"I am not a consensus politician. I am a conviction politician."
--- Margaret Thatcher
The left is infatuated with polls. It is just another tool in their arsenal that they can use in their quest to shape public opinion. Polls should be viewed with a skeptic's eye - they are too easily manipulated, can be done unscientifically, can draw an unrepresentative sample, and at worst, can be down right fabricated. It's too easy to "come up with a poll" to support your position, or throw your poll out and start over if you did not like its results.
Then all you need to do is find a willing media (the left has no problem here) and constantly feature all kinds of "polls" - day in and day out. It's a little different twist from the conventional use of propaganda, but propaganda nonetheless. We know that perception becomes reality.
Today in Pres. Bush's press conference, the topic of polls came up. It was pointed out that he has admitted in the past he pays no attention to polls, BUT wasn't he concerned about his poor showing in 3 recent polls, and does he listen to people (read polls).
Recently, Senator Feingold was being asked about his censure idea of Bush that he floated out that left Dems scrambling, and Feingold seemed to be a little testy over the subject, and made some comment to the effect that "the people" were not up in arms over his suggestion, and then went as far as to say there were no polls to prove otherwise.
Don't you see? It's all about the polls. Well folks, polls make poor presidents. Presidents are leaders.
Leaders lead. Polls cannot. True leaders don't read tea leaves, they don't stick their finger into the air to see which way the wind is blowing, and they don't let polls decide their agenda and their policy.
Leading by polls, even if accurate, is gutless and only provides cover for the spineless leader. If it turns out to be a bad decision, the wimpy leader can run for cover saying he only did what the people wanted and escapes all accountability.
"There are still people in my party who believe in consensus politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors... I mean it. "
--- Margaret Thatcher
"To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects."
--- Margaret Thatcher
Whether you are a Bush backer or a Bush basher, surely you can see the folly of running a country in this manner. There would be no need for presidential elections and hence no need to have a president.
Our country is not run by polls, but by elected pols.
--- Margaret Thatcher
"I am not a consensus politician. I am a conviction politician."
--- Margaret Thatcher
The left is infatuated with polls. It is just another tool in their arsenal that they can use in their quest to shape public opinion. Polls should be viewed with a skeptic's eye - they are too easily manipulated, can be done unscientifically, can draw an unrepresentative sample, and at worst, can be down right fabricated. It's too easy to "come up with a poll" to support your position, or throw your poll out and start over if you did not like its results.
Then all you need to do is find a willing media (the left has no problem here) and constantly feature all kinds of "polls" - day in and day out. It's a little different twist from the conventional use of propaganda, but propaganda nonetheless. We know that perception becomes reality.
Today in Pres. Bush's press conference, the topic of polls came up. It was pointed out that he has admitted in the past he pays no attention to polls, BUT wasn't he concerned about his poor showing in 3 recent polls, and does he listen to people (read polls).
Recently, Senator Feingold was being asked about his censure idea of Bush that he floated out that left Dems scrambling, and Feingold seemed to be a little testy over the subject, and made some comment to the effect that "the people" were not up in arms over his suggestion, and then went as far as to say there were no polls to prove otherwise.
Don't you see? It's all about the polls. Well folks, polls make poor presidents. Presidents are leaders.
Leaders lead. Polls cannot. True leaders don't read tea leaves, they don't stick their finger into the air to see which way the wind is blowing, and they don't let polls decide their agenda and their policy.
Leading by polls, even if accurate, is gutless and only provides cover for the spineless leader. If it turns out to be a bad decision, the wimpy leader can run for cover saying he only did what the people wanted and escapes all accountability.
"There are still people in my party who believe in consensus politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors... I mean it. "
--- Margaret Thatcher
"To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects."
--- Margaret Thatcher
Whether you are a Bush backer or a Bush basher, surely you can see the folly of running a country in this manner. There would be no need for presidential elections and hence no need to have a president.
Our country is not run by polls, but by elected pols.
posted by HeavyHanded at
9:40 PM
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