People, polls and politicians
Tuesday, January 4th, 2005
By Chris Fitzsimon
A lot of politicians are criticized for voting with both eyes on the polls, more worried about their reelection than standing up for their convictions or philosophy.
The criticism is often justified, especially close to an election when some political consultants use polls to find an issue that divides the voters, something the candidate can demagogue in 30-second commercials and political mailings.
But polls can be useful, providing important information about what citizens are worried about, what they want their elected officials to work on. Those polls are generally ignored by politicians and that’s too bad. It would make it much harder for the folks who single-mindedly preach the absurd no new tax rhetoric as the only priority for lawmakers.
A poll for CNN, USA Today and Gallup taken just before Christmas gave people a list of issues and asked how important it was to them that the President and Congress deal with each one during the next year. The war in Iraq and terrorism ranked first and second. After that were health care, education, the economy, social security, and unemployment. Taxes ranked number 12 on the list, below poverty and homelessness.
Politicians ought to be taking pledges to help folks afford health care instead of insultingly promising never to raise taxes.
A CBS/New York Times Poll taken around Thanksgiving simply asked people what they thought was the most important problem facing the country. Taxes didn’t even make the list. The war, the economy, jobs, and health care were mentioned most often.
The disconnect between the people and anti-government zealots isn’t just a national phenomena. It is true in North Carolina too. The best evidence might be the Elon University poll conducted in late November. People were asked what issue should be Governor Mike Easley’s priority as he begins his second term in January.
The top answers were the economy, jobs, education, and health care, remarkably similar to the national poll results.
The message from all these surveys is clear. People don’t want to hear politicians and pundits parade out the same old tired anti tax, anti-government slogans. They want their elected officials to address issues that directly affect their families and their quality of life.
Let’s hope that this is the year politicians actually pay attention to the people they represent.
Last 5 posts in Fitzsimon File
- Behind the reassignment battle - January 6th, 2009
- Not so much change yet - January 5th, 2009
- 'Twas the week before the Christmas - December 19th, 2008
- Easley’s farewell tour - December 18th, 2008
- Now it's the teachers' fault? - December 17th, 2008
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