The poll results that didn't make the press releases

Conventional political wisdom in Raleigh these days is that this will be a huge Republican year at the polls, that the GOP may take control of the General Assembly and defeat some Democrats in the Congressional delegation.

Pundits can't talk enough about the Tea Party rallies and the public anger that is supposedly going to sweep Democrats out of office. The scandals surrounding former Governor Mike Easley and his associates are touted as an important factor that will help the Republican wave some conservatives say will be larger than the 1994 landslide.

Maybe, but here are some recent polling results that you may not have heard that seem to say otherwise.

Voters in North Carolina say if they were going to polls today, they would be voting Democratic in both legislative and Congressional races, and more people have a favorable impression of Barack Obama and Beverly Perdue than an unfavorable impression.

Voters say reducing health care costs is the issue that concerns them most after the economy and they believe the Democratic Party is better than the GOP at creating jobs, holding down health care costs, and fighting government corruption.

The findings were not leaked from a private poll conducted by a hopeful Democratic consultant. They are from the latest survey by the Pope Civitas Institute, founded by Republican consultant Jack Hawke, a former chair of the State Republican Party and the campaign manager for last year's Republican candidate for governor.

Civitas always issues press releases about selected finding before the entire poll is published that often frame the debate and dominate the headlines about public opinion. None of the findings that favor Democrats are ever publicized. But much to Civitas' chagrin, they are clearly there.

Out rallying the Tea Party

There's was more evidence in Raleigh this week that the Tea Party phenomenon may have peaked. The Tea Partiers called for a demonstration against health care reform outside the Raleigh office of Congressman Bobby Etheridge Thursday and about 40 people showed up with the usual signs about socialism and warnings that health care reform would mean the end of Western Civilization as we know it.

A counter demonstration across the street drew 300 people who support President Obama's reform proposals and Rep. Etheridge's vote for the bill that passed the House. The tide and the polls and the rallies appear to be turning.

Low turnout only a problem sometimes

The folks on Right Wing Avenue are also struggling to explain why voters in two counties recently approved raising local taxes to address budget problems. Taxes are always evil remember, government is always too big.

One of the folks in Lockerville dismisses the votes for a hike in the sales tax in Hertford County and Randolph County because of low voter turnout, less than ten percent of registered voters showing up at the polls.

Apparently low voter turnout means we shouldn't take the result of an election seriously. It's not what the voters really think.

Unless of course, it's the Wake County School Board elections, where turnout in November was roughly the same as it was in Hertford County last week.

Reform Blue Cross style

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Brad Wilson recently summed up his position on health care reform in an appearance in Western North Carolina. Wilson said that the only role of government in reform should be to subsidize lower-income people in order to help them pay for private insurance.

In other words, government should only concern itself with making sure that Blue Cross gets more customers and makes more money. Don't fret about cost controls or budget concerns, and there's no need for any new regulations to make people can find coverage. Just pay us more and we'll do the rest.

You have to give Wilson one thing—he has a simple message. Profit, profit, profit.

From the fringe

George Leef with the Pope Center to Dismantle for Higher Education weighs in From the Fringe this week with a gem about the college professors that he roundly despises.

"Teachers and professors often devote time to regaling captive students with their views on what's wrong with the world, overwhelmingly to create the impression that we need more coercion by government."

Wonder where all the faculty members hold those pro-coercion secret meetings to plan their brainwashing strategy?

Two of Leef's colleagues at the Pope Center to Dismantle recently pleased their mentor in an essay about the UNC system that Leef hates so deeply. It includes this conclusion about proposals to raise tuition.

"The economic downturn is no time for politicians and bureaucrats to be picking the pockets of students and taxpayers to pay for their profligate ways."

There are plenty of arguments against raising tuition, but making more investments in the university that educates our population is not one of them.