…with this latest bit of inanity:
An AP-Yahoo News poll found that pet owners favor McCain over Obama 42 percent to 37 percent, with dog owners particularly in McCain’s corner…
The poll found that among people who don’t have pets, Obama leads McCain 48 percent to 34 percent.
But that still leaves McCain looking strong, since the majority of homes have a pet…
The AP-Yahoo News poll is part of an ongoing study that tracks the attitudes and opinions of a group of more than 2,000 Americans to see how their political views evolve over the course of the election campaign.
The AP-Yahoo News survey of 1,759 adults was conducted from June 13-23 and had an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. The margin of sampling error for population subgroups is larger.
The poll was conducted over the Internet by Knowledge Networks, which initially contacted people using traditional telephone polling methods and followed with online interviews. People chosen for the study who had no Internet access were given it free.
Where to begin?
First, AP doesn’t include the survey questions that were asked. Second, it has the standard (and growing) coverage bias that leaves cell phone users who don’t also own landlines out in the cold. Third, the telephone interviews more than likely resulted in nonresponses for the online follow-up; those who don’t have an internet connection have usually chosen not to have one because they’re not comfortable with the internet — and therefore don’t want access even if its provided for free. Fourth, it neglects to mention the confidence level of the survey.
Finally, who gives a shit? Here’s a funny thought: Maybe AP and Yahoo should ask, oh… I dunno… PERTINENT QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICY ISSUES AND THE CANDIDATES’ POSITIONS instead of how dog vs. cat owners break down for the two candidates four months before the politics-as-usual election in November?
Just a thought.
