Do you believe in polls?
That is, the accuracy of the information and the conclusions which polling derives? Do you rely on a poll and does it influence your thinking?
By the way, have you ever participated in a poll, have you ever been interviewed, have you ever been asked for your opinion with fair and well posed questions with a chance to really answer and express your views? I haven’t. Whatever polls are out there don’t represent my thinking, do they yours?
Of course we never really know who the polls interview. We know nothing about them as people, citizens, what they really think. We don’t know how many people were polled. We don’t know gender, ethnicity, or age. We don’t know levels of education, understanding or intelligence. In fact, we don’t even know where or how broadly geographically the poll was conducted. We know nothing about who conducted the poll, the fairness and objectivity of the pollsters. What the questions were, how they were posed and whether they were fully understood. We never know whether the pollsters sought out conservatives or liberals, Democrats or Republicans. And the polls would have us presume that a Hispanic male 35 years of age in New York City would have the very same political philosophy and points of view as the same Hispanic male in Los Angeles. Most polls say they are accurate within a 3-4% range. The fact may well be that polls are mere educated guesses, slivers of American opinion and when confronted by actual fact, at best guidelines or at worst, worthless, misleading.
So now, here comes yet another poll, this one conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. The Wall Street Journal is a respected publication reasonably objective and conservative while NBC would slant more liberal. Perhaps the balance produces some objectivity. In any event, this poll now tells us that the top concern, the major issue for Americans is:
NATIONAL SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Understandable, don’t you think? Given what is happening the world over, and in our very own country, and starting with the massacre of 9-11 in 2001, Americans should find National Security as the most important concern. As a result, security and defense, private and public are the fastest growing industries in America. Americans are afraid and demand more protection federal, state and local, more access to private security, and the ever-increasing right to the ownership and possession of weapons for
the purpose of self-protection and defense. That is primarily against terrorism, fueled from abroad and of course the terroristic actions of the lone wolf.
But this poll finds that almost 60%, 3 in 5 Americans strongly disapprove of the way Barack Hussein Obama is handling American foreign policy. In fact, 70% of this Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll said the country, our country was “on the wrong track.” We have, the poll found, no consistent, viable or sustainable foreign policy. Obama, Kerry and company can not be trusted, are not aggressive, and do not champion American interests either at home or abroad as they should. Americans point to the violence of terrorism including Charlie Hebdo massacres in Paris, the shootings by a lone gunman at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado, and the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California by a pair of Islamic terrorists. Americans fear more to come and Americans know that Obama and company are doing little or nothing to prevent that from happening. Small wonder National Security and terrorism are the first issues of concerns in the minds and hearts of Americans.
The second major issue is:
JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
That used to be first and in fact a political mantra, namely that at the bottom line for Americans:
IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID
There is no life, say Americans, unless there is job creation and security and the possibility for economic growth. 70% of Americans, in this poll think the Obama Administration does poorly economically. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why businessman Donald Trump is so popular. He tells us he knows how to create jobs and grow the economy and that he will standup aggressively to terrorism no matter the cost politically. Americans find that bravado, that courage assuring.
The third issue of concern on the part of Americans according to this poll is:
THE DEFICIT AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING
We don’t hear much about that in the mainstream, liberal media. In fact, we are persuaded that there should be more entitlement, more Social Security and Medicare, more food stamps, more wealth redistribution, more socialism at work and consequently MORE SPENDING. The deficit increases yearly and the debt ceiling is raised without compunction. The trillions of dollars which America owes will economically strangle the lives of our children and grandchildren. They will never know the America that we have known. Social Security is economically broken as is Medicare and Medicaid. Pensions, public and private in America are an absolute disaster and an economic time bomb waiting to happen. Some 40% of all Americans live in some degree or altogether in poverty, below the line so to speak. Large corporations exit America to avoid confiscatory corporate taxes. Corporate greed grows and increases. The tax code continues unfair and preferential without any real hope of fundamental change. The American economy, fueled by the deficit and insane and unlawful government spending, is well on the way to a financial Armageddon. Americans know that, fear that, but don’t know what to do about that. Washington never, ever deals with that cancerous problem.
The fourth issue of American concern, the Wall Street Journal/NBC News polls found is:
HEALTHCARE
One out of five Americans think that healthcare, ObamaCare is not working or is in some cases a disaster. The Affordable Care Act now shows its true colors, namely the fact that healthcare costs at every level, whether premiums, hospital, drugs, doctors, medical care generally go nowhere but UP. Obama flat out lied. The act is not only not affordable, it changes virtually everything. Contrary to the words of this President, you can not keep your very own doctor, your very own plan, but rather you get CHANGE, year after year until such time as what you once had is now non-existent. Six out of ten Americans would like to see ObamaCare repealed or at least radically changed. Guess how far that message will get in Washington.
The fifth issue of major concern on the part of Americans as found by the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll is:
CLIMATE CHANGE
There is constant damage to our planet but only 7% of those polled felt concerned about this issue. It is controversial, unclear and uncertain. Perhaps that is why the response is so low.
The sixth issue is:
IMMIGRATION
That seems surprising because it really is a major issue. The immigration problem, legal and illegal must be solved, one way or another. Americans have strong feelings about illegal immigrants and the next President and Congress must deal with this issue, forcefully, legally and consistently.
The seventh issue of concern, deeply disappointing in so many ways is:
RELIGIOUS AND MORAL VALUES
As one religious, that is strongly Christian and one who believes wholeheartedly in strong moral values, it is most disappointing to learn that this poll found that there are only some 3% of those polled who are concerned with the deterioration of religion and moral values in America. Perhaps that is the most telling response. We live in a secular age, a-religious even anti-religious. We live in an age where anything goes, one with no absolutes, an era of situation ethics and:
WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ME
The moral fabric of America seems torn asunder with little hope for strong national revival. We are led by politicians who seem to care little about such morals or values and in fact live lives professionally and personally so often without them. Our politicians get away with everything. Obama has lied over and again, acted illegally and unlawfully, unconstitutionally and gotten away with it. So have his agents, like Lois Lerner of the IRS (remember her?). Or Hillary Clinton with Benghazi, personal emails, fraudulent nonprofit organizations among many others on her record. We are accustomed to immorality, we take it for granted and the tragedy is we do nothing about it. No one is accountable for anything today and that is why traditional values and morals are dead last as issues of concern for so many Americans. Well, once in a while, even the polls as inaccurate as they are can be right.
Generally, polls find that Republicans support the traditional definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Republicans tend to be National Rifle Association (NRA) and Second Amendment supporters. They tend to in the majority to support the Right-to-Life movement and are strongly supportive of business interests.
Democrats on the other hand tend in the majority to be supporters of Gay-Rights movements, addressing climate change and the environment, against the NRA and in favor of the evisceration of the Second Amendment, among others. That all seems to be true, but I wonder why we need a poll to tell us that. But the polls also show us that there is an even more aggressive and widening:
POLARIZING
Of Americans, there is an ever-growing Ideological Divide, little or no dialogue or meeting of the minds, and the erosion and gradual disappearance of the so-called Political Center. Political views and philosophy now tend toward the extreme as the issues move to “the edges of the political playing field.” Perhaps that is why so many Americans, neither Left nor Right extremists, remain not only indifferently in the middle, but indifferent to politics and even voting as well. The political and philosophic polarizing of America is the beginning of a very, very sad era in American history and perhaps even the very beginning of the end of our once great society.
Once Obama is gone, the next leader is likely to be either:
HILLARY CLINTON
BERNIE SANDERS
For the Democrats. Neither is centrist and both are extreme in their own way, especially Sanders who is an avowed socialist. More radical change and destruction for American if either one is elected.
Or, on the other side, the Republicans:
DONALD TRUMP
TED CRUZ
MARCO RUBIO
As the frontrunners. It seems more than likely that one of those five will be our next leader. Perhaps even now, early on, we can envision our great country led by one of these five and the changes they will implement, the direction our country will go. Many believe that any of these five will lead our country to further polarization, mistrust, anger and even extremism. Some think that the four years of the next Administration will see violence in America, not just from terrorism but:
AMERICAN AGAINST AMERICAN
Our way of life may so radically change that some kind of violent resistance may in fact occur. What a tragedy that would be, but if the current course of events continues, quite probably inevitable.
But perhaps Elections 2016 for the next four years will be the last chance we the people have to elect those at all levels who will protect and defend our great country and our way of life. That seems unclear at this point but now, finally, come the primaries where we the people can vote. When polls, debates and prognostications become secondary and reality becomes priority. It is time for all Americans, we the people to step-up and take control of our country. WE should elect the right man or woman to lead us and we, like never before, should hold every politician at every level FULLY ACCOUNTABLE. The political ways of America in the last eight years must end and we must aggressively return to an America constitutional and under the Rule of Law, straight, moral, committed and convinced and determined to rebuild and restore. We as citizens must renew our PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE to this great country and be willing to put our all on the altar to preserve, protect and defend the greatest nation in the history of the world.
So say I. What say you?