And you call these numbers a mandate for Bush to cut taxes?

[noproblems]

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. Feb. 8-9, 2001. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.


"As you may know, the federal budget now has a surplus -- which means the government in Washington collects more money from taxes and other sources than it spends. In general, would you prefer to see the federal surplus used MAINLY to cut people's taxes, or to pay down the federal debt and make Social Security and Medicare more financially solvent?"

Cut taxes 28%
Pay down debt, make soc. security solvent etc. 65%
Neither/Other (vol.) 2%
Don't know 5%

There are many in this country who wonder whether Bush was even really elected. After looking at these poll numbers, it is hard for any rational person to believe that he was elected with any mandate to cut taxes. GET REAL!!

 

[vi edit]

No offense man, but if you think that a poll of 1000 people really constitutes an accurate portrayal of our nation I've got a radiation inhibiting cell phone cover to sell you.

 

[noproblems]

Vi_Edit
I think it is pretty safe to say that with the wide margin between the numbers, that an overwhelming majority of Americans are against your Bush tax cut. But then again I prefer to deal with reality -- an unknown commodity to the Republican 'peapod' way of thinking!!

 

[Double Trouble]

In light of your 'brilliant' post in a couple of other threads, I'll keep it short and simple to match your attention span and cognitive abilities, respectively.

1. A country is not to be run based on stupid polls -- something Clinton obviously didn't realize in his years in the office.

2. Whine about 'mandate' all ya want, he's the president, he's gonna do what he promised during his campaign. The majority of the electoral vote is all the "mandate" he needs.

3. The average dolt out there doesn't have a clue what the actual impact of the 'national debt' is -- they just repeat what they've been spoonfed by the media. Paying down debt = good. Paying down debt too fast = bad.

 

[vi edit]

Out of curiosity, how are those polls calculated? Is it based upon reader response? Was it cold calling random numbers? Ect.

If it was based off of the reader base of Newsweek, then it is already thrown out. You have a group of people with a general interest(the magazine), who have probably just finished reading an article that put a slant one way or another responding to a question that could have been worded in such a way that one choice sounded more preferable than another.

Another point in the validity of polls goes back to early November with some of the online polls. There were several out there that showed Bush with a 90% popularity vote.

My point is simply that a poll, especially with one discussing something as complex a question as this one really doesn't mean squat when you factor in how the population really feels.

For instance, I could go to the mall and ask the following question:

Q1: Would you rather
a) have your paychecks $50 higher because of a tax break
b) have them $50 lower than choice a) because you have to pay off the Governments poor spending habits

Guess which one would have the overwhelming majority?

As for "my bush tax cut" - I voted libertarian and wanted Gore to win.