PrintJune 21, 2009
The New York Times' 'Shady Lady polling' on health insurance
Bruce Kessler writing at Maggies Farm:
The New York Times, otherwise known as the Grey Lady, might more appropriately be known as Obama's Shady Lady. Believe its poll and get a Times Square disease.
The lead headline is about a NYT/CBS News Poll, trumpeting "Wide Support for Government-Run Health." The lead paragraph:BUT, according to the actual poll data, of the 73% of respondents who said they voted in 2008 only 34% voted for McCain and 66% for Obama. The actual vote was 48% McCain. So, 29% of McCain voters ignored by the poll must not be Americans, according to the NYTs methodology, and there are about as much an overpolling of Obama voters. NYT's Shady Lady polling.
Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind [72%] one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
(Correction: AT Political Correspondent Rich Baehr emails to let us know that Kessler is incorrect. McCain received 46% of the vote not 48%. Of course, it doesn't alter the argument much; it is still massive undercounting of Republicans.)
That is massive underpolling of nationalized health care opponents and overpolling of Obama worshipers.
Isn't it amazing what the New York Times can do with polling?
