Totally off-topic poll

[november]

*looks over both shoulders—is this OT?*

Don’t feel like rehashing all this. I thought his pool was interesting. I was a little surprised at the result.

[Stormbinder]

dp

[ May 10, 2004, 23:12: Message edited by: Stormbinder ]

[Stormbinder]

Originally posted by november:
*looks over both shoulders—is this OT?*

Don’t feel like rehashing all this. I thought his pool was interesting. I was a little surprised at the result.

Thanks. Yes, my theory seemed to be correct, we are way past the margin of statistical error here.


Now that we have gathered enough statistical data, and know the results (21% for Bush, 79% for Kerry), who will be the first brave soul to try to explain it? I remind you that at this moment the country is spilt 49% vs 49%. So why intenet in general, and our forum in particualar, is so radically different?


I have my own thoughts about it, but I would like to hear other people opinions first.

[ May 10, 2004, 23:14: Message edited by: Stormbinder ]

[Norfleet]

Well, if you figure that becoming a member of the Internet community has a barrier to entry, that no matter how dumb a member of the Internet community may seem, the fact that it's a selected group with a barrier to entry(must able to operate a computer), means that the group must still be of above average intelligence(and that's just sad!).

Now, given that people on the Internet have access to more information, for better or for worse, I think it's reasonable to expect that most of us are reasonbly well-versed in Bush's atrocities. Most of us are probably sure he ain't the sharpest pencil in the drawer.

What does this mean, then? Well, it means we're less inclined to vote for him....although some of us may take the view of "better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

Plus you removed all of the independent voters. It would have been MORE interesting to see what the percentage of people who would vote independent as a result of this as compared to the national average.

[Zapmeister]

Well, if you figure that becoming a member of the Internet community has a barrier to entry...

But the poll didn't sample the wider Internet community, it sampled Dominions players. And I think it would be too simplistic (and arrogant) to say that Dominions players are too intelligent to vote for Bush.

More likely, there is something about the persona that is attracted to Dominions that is also attracted to the more moderate politics that the Democratic party is supposed to represent.

Alternatively (speaking as an uninformed Australian onlooker here) it is possible the Dominions players are, for some reason, more likely to accept the media portrayal of Bush, and whoever's advising him, as idiots.

[Cainehill]

Originally posted by Zapmeister:
Alternatively (speaking as an uninformed Australian onlooker here) it is possible the Dominions players are, for some reason, more likely to accept the media portrayal of Bush, and whoever's advising him, as idiots.

Actually, the US news media has by and large portrayed him favorably; possibly because 90% of the newspapers are now owned by large conglomerate corporations whose primary interest isn't presenting a fair and unbiased representation of the news. Two of the only large independently owned papers aren't nearly as favorable towards him : The New York Times is anti-Bush, while the Washington Post is more unbiased.

Also - it isn't the internet community, or the dominions 2 community. I don't drive, so I ride the buses - an awful lot of non-internet type people are pretty unhappy with Bush. Ditto the military (I'm former military, and up until 2 months ago had been working with the military for the 14 years since I became a civilian).

Near as I can tell, the question is : Who the @#$@ are these polls talking to? Registered members of their local Chambers of Commerce? Members of the "Pioneer Club" (people who've raised 10,000 or more for Bush)? Oilmen? Who?

[Tris]

He did. Cast a ballot, but only vote for things you actually support, or against things you don't. If you don't like any of the choices, don't vote for any of them, but do cast the ballot.

That is not a more effective method of showing disapproval. That either increases a smaller parties share of the vote (whose successes are often reported in terms of single issue politics, and who I don't believe are more able to run the country) or increases spoilt ballots, which do not make Primetime news, and come across as people too dumb to fill in a ballot paper properly.

It also reduces the impact of "X% of people do not vote" headlines, which are the loudest message that people find politics uninspiring.

If another issue becomes more important to me, I will vote accordingly, but I still see this as the most effective way to register what I think.