Alaska Politics Blog : Ivan Moore: Palin positive rating in Alaska is 82%

Alaska Politics Blog

This is the place to talk about Alaska politics -- state, local, national. Public life in the Last Frontier has probably never been more interesting than right now -- the governor as candidate for vice president, the broad and still-evolving corruption investigation, a big election, powerful members of Congress under scrutiny, and the usual hardball Alaska politics. Come here for news, tidbits and information, and join the discussion. Keep your comments civil and on point. Avoid personal attacks. Do not use profanity. Posts that violate the Terms of Use will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be banned.

Contributors

Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau in 2007, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the ADN before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins covers politics and other stories for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

Features

SECTION

Alaska political corruption

The FBI raided state legislatures offices in Aug. 2006, and the fallout since has been epic in Alaska's political world.

Ivan Moore: Palin positive rating in Alaska is 82%

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: September 4, 2008 - 4:25 pm

E-mail from Anchorage pollster and political consultant Ivan Moore:

As promised, the update of the Palin approval numbers is out today. Back on August 9-12, she was at 80-13 positive to negative. A lot's happened since then, and her numbers are now 82-13. So her positive rating is creeping back up, 76%, 78%, 80%, 82% the last four polls since mid July.

Details of the current poll...August 30-September 2, 500 sample, 4.4% margin of error.

Pasted below is the original press release I sent out last week for those of you that didn't receive it. Also, visit either Anchorage Press or 650 KENI for links to the pdf document of the questionnaire and frequencies.

Thanks all for your interest.

Ivan

***

Hi all,

After repeated requests, I've decided to offically release these Palin tracking numbers, with a detailed timeline wrt to current events in Alaska.

The question is asked as follows:

"I'm now going to read you the names of some public figures. For each one, please tell me if your feelings towards them are very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative or very negative, or if you've never heard of them."

It is not an approval rating or job performance measure, more a temperature reading of affinity towards public figures. The very and somewhats are typically combined for easier digestion of the numbers.

I'm giving you numbers from five statewide surveys. All of them are 500 sample, +/-4.4% MOE, and LV.

May 2007. Palin has been in office five months. Rating 89%-5% positive-negative. Post-election honeymoon showing no signs of waning.

January 2008. One year anniversary. Rating 82%-11%. This was the first measure with a negative over 10%.

July 18-22, 2008. Six weeks ago. This survey was fielded just a few days after the breaking of the Wooten story in mid-July. At the time it was uncertain how much of the fallout of the issue we'd caught. Rating 76%-18%. So a hit of 6-7 points. Was there more to come?

July 30-31, 2008. Fielding began on this survey the day after the indictment of Senator Ted Stevens was announced. The Wooten story had had more time to sink in to the public consciousness. Rating 78%-15%. Palin's numbers had recovered slightly.

August 9-12, 2008. Rating 80%-13%. Almost back to where the numbers were in January. HOWEVER, fielding on this survey finished the day before the news hit about Frank Bailey's recorded phone call to Trooper Dial, which certainly gave the issue legs and arguably more impact.

There has been a significant amount of attention paid nationally to the potential damaging effects of "Troopergate" on Sarah Palin. These numbers show that UP UNTIL the day before the Bailey call, there had been some damage in terms of public opinion in Alaska, but that it had been temporary in nature.

We start fielding on a new survey today. Update next week. These new survey numbers will include the Bailey impact and of course the impact of Palin's selection as McCain's VP choice.

login or register to post comments

11 November 20, 2008 - 1:01pm | abidiks

A great read, very

A great read, very informative
bedava türkü dinle türkü sözleri türkü dinle türkü notaları radyo dinle müzik dinle key ödemeleri sohbet radyo sohbet sohbet müzik dinle
canlı müzik dinle
şarkı sözleri radyo dinle

10 September 8, 2008 - 3:31pm | greenkayak13

Ace job, ADN. I pointed this

Ace job, ADN.

I pointed this out last week and now the national press has scooped you! In the little space they have to cover Alaska issues, less so now that the Governor is in the mix, the Politico has covered it. Do your job, for all of us, not just liberals - http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0908/Stevens_Lead_Is_First_All_Year.html

9 September 8, 2008 - 2:40pm | Black_Pelican

Under Mark "the weasel" Begich

tenure as mayor, my property tax has increased 18% (2004 to 2008). He is a tax and spend liberal!

8 September 7, 2008 - 7:56am | TheSdog

Wonder why

Ivan's latest poll showing Stevens only 3 points behind Begich has not gotten much play?

For those outside Alaska, Ivan is usually off by about 10 points and if he has Stevens barely behind, he may actually be ahead.

Now, The Palin probably does have an 80+% approval rating. People like Santa Clause as wel. It is amazing how $1200 bribes can keep people happy. She has pandered by dishing out cash at every chance for seniors, dairy farmers, etc. That is how you get things done in Alaska, just ask VECO. Wait, you would need a time machine to do that.

Now some background for the blog tourists....

Begich aka "Marky Mark" is the mayor of Anchorage who in a mere 5 years has blossomed the city budget by just under 50%.

Marky Mark also turned our police department into glorified meter maids writing traffic citations leading. He wanted more revenue and as a result our gang problem resurfaced.

His other way to increase revenue was to increase fees for just about everything.

He played a shell game with taxes and a bogus "residential exemption" to shift more burden to business as well. Part of his game was also to redefine what is counted under our tax cap so he could suck more money into the coffers for his elaborate liberal spending schemes.

Marky Mark is also the pope of the "Church of Begich" that believes you need to set aside as much areas of overgrown weeds as you can and call them parks. They also want to build more and more "trails" across a city that has more per capita than any other city in the country. Unfortunately, the parks and trails are really just dog toilets if you ever take a gander at one.

Most recently, Marky Mark waited a while to close a trail after a bear kept mauling people on it. He had to because the granola chompers who support him subscribe to "the bears were here first" policy.

We could go about how Marky Mark has used his office to try and save a political supporter's piece of real estate or other real estate issues he has been involved in. Or how one of his best friends, a Democrat, is in the middle of the corruption stories up here. We could even go on how he is tangled with Uncle Ted to an extent in one of the deals.

Which brings us to Uncle Ted, our US Senator. Master of the "series of tubes" and the one who got us a cool million for a bus stop near the Anchorage Museum. You do not think Marky Mark turned that down do you? You already know how mayors up here handle that from The Palin stories.

Uncle Ted is still wondering where he got his beautiful house as if he is David Byrne. How did he get here?

We could go on about Uncle Ted but most of the country knows his story.

Alaska is a state where the people for all their claims of being independent are the most dependent people in the country. The people of the cities have a minor taste of taxes thanks to Marky Mark and the COB but the rest of them live off oil taxes and federal money to the tune of $1.65 for every dollar paid by Alaskans in federal taxes. Only New Mexico is higher.

We are fat, dumb, and happy with all that oil money and everyone from Uncle Ted, to The Dom(Don Young), to The Palin, to Marky Mark, to Lt Gov Parnalin(Sean Parnell), to Francisco Berkowitz(Ethan Berkowitz), to Gunny French(State Sen Hollis French who is getting national fame recently with Troopergate), to all of them with precious few exceptions has no long term plan for a diversified fiscal future. It is really the ultimate "what's in it for me" state and if you do not drown the people in entitlements or dare ask them for a penny they riot. The mob rules up here and the right decision is always abandoned for the popular one.

Feel for us America because you may actually have a few people to consider on your ballots even if the presidential choices on the ticket are not palatable. We get The Dom vs. Francisco and Uncle Ted vs. Marky Mark.

It is all okay though because at least we got that $1200 in hush money.

September 8, 2008 - 10:42am | akgen

sdoggie,

are you in need of some attention again?

Has it been more difficult, as of late, due to the increase blog posts and recent attention Palin has been receiving?

Relax, calm down, take a deeeeeep breath, we all know you think your great.

September 7, 2008 - 8:15am | Cartman3_15

Background for blog tourists

In case it's not painfully obvious, Sdog values himself and his biased observations way beyond their true worth.

He's a blowhard and a hater who repeats his laundry list of grievances at every opportunity.

September 7, 2008 - 8:33am | TheSdog

And yet

every time the toy gun is fired there is cartman pinging off the wall.

I am happy for the penny you gave me for my thoughts but do need another one since I always give my two cents.

September 7, 2008 - 9:07pm | rfn

Sorrowful, each year,

when we read the statistics of children injured or killed by police when their toy guns* are mistaken for the real thing. It just feels irresponsible to fool around like that instead of treating it as seriously as deserved.

* The children's toy guns....not the Taser-toys carried by some police

September 7, 2008 - 9:46am | MeganLarson

Dog

You know, if you really have such a low opinion of Alaska and Alaskans, why do you still live here? Does it please you to constantly complain and fret? We would miss your medical services and your volunteering as a coach but perhaps you'd be happier back East somewhere. I worry about your blood pressure.

September 7, 2008 - 1:52pm | TheSdog

It would appear

when I post it is actually everybody else's BP goes up.

I check mine regularly and it runs 115/75 which is just about perfect.

I could not be happier and will survive either The Obama Nation or McNation.

It is not a "low" opinion but Alaskans truly are phonies. There are no true conservatives up here. Even the s-called conservatives up here tax and expect the government to take care of them.

You see, I am what every Alaskan thinks they are. I work hard. I do not need the government. Most of all, I believe in capitalism and do not hold profits againt anybody.

September 8, 2008 - 8:30am | MeganLarson

And

You're humble, too. :)

September 8, 2008 - 8:33am | MeganLarson

September 8, 2008 - 8:36am | akmooster

back to dog's first point...

if the schumer/polosi/feinstein/ried/begich ticket had come up 10 points in the polls, do you think adn would have printed it?

7 September 5, 2008 - 1:18pm | greenkayak13

That's great for Sarah, but

That's great for Sarah, but I thought the real news from this poll was that Senator Stevens has gone from 17 points back to just 3. ADN - where's your coverage of that? I notice that you took time to point out the results when the boy mayor looked so good back on August 1 (http://community.adn.com/adn/node/128174). I hope you will share this news with readers of this blog soon.

September 5, 2008 - 1:21pm | rfn

Begich and his

fellow beneficiary of Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein's emotional largess are toast.

It never was close but, since Republicans will turn out in unprecedented numbers in Alaska in November, any question that might have existed is gone.

Better to hang onto those campaign funds for next time or to use for legal defenses someday. Even Don Young figured that out and he wasn't in nearly as much electoral jeopardy.

6 September 5, 2008 - 11:58am | Skeptical1

Not very compelling

So, the latest poll, taken during the first few days of media blitz after she was announced as MCain's VP pick showed 82 % of Alaskans had at least a "somewhat positive" image of the Governor? Not surprising in the least but not very informative. I would like to see a poll that gauges reaction to Troopergate. As I recall, an informal TV audience poll right after the Bailey tape was disclosed showed that 70% of the audience did not believe the Governor's story. At that time Palin promised to cooperate with the legislative investigation and to make Bailey and other members of her staff available for interview but now her lawyer is obstructing the investigation and the Legislature is moving to issue subpoenas. How many Alaskans doubt her credibility now?

5 September 5, 2008 - 5:30am | truthgazer

What's with the gotta "love" or gotta "hate" Palin?

Stick with the issues, please! She initially surprised me with her initial ability to work both sides of the aisle; she totally disappointed me with her treatment of Walt, in that she showed no courage or strength of character by having her surrogate fire him.

I expected much more compassion and honesty from her. Instead, we've been treated to a plate filled with innuendoes about the brother-in-law after he and her sister divorced. Before that, he was a great guy and no one minded that he shot a moose for all the Palin/Heath family to enjoy.

That says a lot about strength of character. The sister couldn't pull the trigger on a cow moose, asked her husband to do it for her, so she should have been cited for lying on her cow moose permit report. Two years later, the Palins decide to bring it up to law enforcement that the now ex-brother-in-law shot a cow moose meant for the sister who refused to shoot it. But, not until they had many tasty meals from that cow moose.

This tells us a lot about the character of Sarah. I think we need to concentrate on the behavior because that is truly the greatest indicator of how the job will be done.

Sarah is a great public speaker. That does not mean she should be elected to the office of vice-president of the U.S.A.

And, if the state can run itself for the next two months, why have a governor? It obviously can and probably should be a part-time job.

4 September 4, 2008 - 6:59pm | stumpy01

So they were wrong.

And those Palin haters have been telling us that Sarah's approval rating was only 80%.

They were wrong.

Again.

3 September 4, 2008 - 5:53pm | raingod

I heard 65%

Isn't there another poll out there that says her positive rating is around 65 percent? What accounts for the difference?

"Gregg Erickson: Her approval ratings are high--65 percent, or so--but down from 80 percent earlier in her term. Most Alaskan's haven't watched her as closely as most reporters or legislators. If you took a poll of reporters and legislators I expect her approval rating would be down in the teens or twenties."

September 4, 2008 - 6:48pm | tweedledeetweedledum

I read that yesterday too

But I can't remember where. It was a major news source though.

September 4, 2008 - 5:58pm | palmerbuyer

Who??

Please state your source.

September 4, 2008 - 6:50pm | raingod

Gregg Erickson is a

Gregg Erickson is a columnist (and reporter?) for the Anchorage Daily News and editor at large for the Alaska Budget Report.

He was interviewed by the Washington Post.

September 4, 2008 - 10:07pm | editorsblog

Clarifying

Gregg writes a column for our editorial page. He is an economist and is not employed by the newspaper.

Pat Dougherty

2 September 4, 2008 - 4:54pm | Stags__Leap

Awesome Gov. Palin!

Thanks for all the hard work for the people of Alaska. You deserve this fantastic approval rating. The other 18 percent are just bitter.

September 5, 2008 - 12:35pm | Emperor

Yeah...

...anyone that doesn't like or doesn't agree with Palin is just bitter, or a hater, or an oil company shill, or a misogynist or....

Why is it impossible for you to understand and accept that there are some of us who have legitimate and well founded reasons to not like, agree with or approve of Palin?

1 September 4, 2008 - 4:47pm | ginger_winfree

Don't believe it

Wonder where these 500 people come from. With all of the negative public comments I have read it makes no sense that her approval rating is over 80%.

September 4, 2008 - 10:57pm | MeganLarson

Those who don't approve

are a small but vocal minority in the media. Sadly you hear this dissention on not only the liberal radio shows but the conservative ones as well. And their callers are mostly a part of that 18%, too.

Just look at the biased way the radio shows, especially Rydell, discuss allegations against Stevens and Palin. Actually, Stevens has 7 indictments against him. Nevertheless, Rydell defended him vehemently and claimed the indictments were made up so those who created them wouldn't lose their jobs. I heard it on one of the promos for his show a few weeks back if you want to check it out--they might have it in the archives of the KENI radio station website.
But does he believe Sarah is also innocent until proven guilty? Heck no. He's railed on her since she threw in her bid for the governorship during the primaries. He claimed a vote for her was a vote for Tony Knowles since she couldn't possibly beat him in the actual contest. Then she went on to prove him wrong. Lately the talk was that she wasn't a good public speaker so she would tank on Wednesday night. Wrong again. The absolute hate he has for her is both comic and sad.

September 4, 2008 - 11:28pm | Cartman3_15

"Comic and sad"

Excellent description.

Same could be said for Fagan. And some who post hereabouts.

September 4, 2008 - 11:12pm | TheSdog

Curious

that you defend The Palin so vehemently and with complete disregard for what lies in front of you.

Did you catch McCain's speech tonight? Did you find the education part interesting?

He basically trashed the NEA and pointed out they are a blockade to quality education. Better look out, he wants to actually make you prove you are doing your job. He was very clear he wants to see you doing something else if you are not up to par.

It must have just gotten a little harder for you to mark the box next to McCain/Palin.

Then again, your hero thought education was so important she sent her son to Michigan to play hockey. It would be wrong to talk about a family and their apparent disregard for education though. Would it not?

We are only allowed to talk about what the candidate wants us to here. See, this is the part where you ignore things like freedom of the press and freedom of speech because the education ball got dropped.

September 5, 2008 - 12:24am | MeganLarson

I loved the education part

I think there needs to be some major changes in education, Dog. That's why I not only got involved and became a teacher (notice McCain suggested that tonight in his speech) but I also got involved with my union. That way I can become part of the reform, not part of the problem. Last year I focused on improving communication within the union itself and on ideas that can improve communication and our image with the public. The public communication will take time and the image part will improve with reform from within. I'm working on it, though! ;)

His statements tonight make it easier to mark that box! :) You're so silly, doggy.

We do need to reward excellence in teaching, attract and retain quality teachers, and weed out the ones that can't/won't improve. I will be very interested in the specifics of the plan as a lot of ideas behind NCLB had the right goals in mind but with the execution and specifics of the plan it only is somewhat successful in improving our kids' actual skills (may or may not be related to one time high stakes test scores). Plus it is not funded anywhere NEAR to where it's supposed to be according to the NCLB plan. Yes friends, NCLB calls for MORE spending in education in order to work the way it's supposed to, so since it's NOT fully funded, money that is supposed to be directed into the classroom instead gets diverted to paying for NCLB requirements.

But, this is a debate for another day.

Go Sarah! Go John! :)

September 5, 2008 - 2:43pm | TheSdog

Meg

So you want more money?

Why? We alredy spend more than any other developed country per student except for Sweeden.

The problem is it is all getting sucked up by administrators. Oh, and to pay teachers who are not doing their job.

I have seen zero reform come out from your union. All you offer is empty rhetoric whic incidently is what McCain was offering as well.

At the end of the day the unions will still rule and the public education system will fall depper into the cesspool.

Just imagine what the government could do if it took over healthcare.

September 5, 2008 - 6:58pm | MeganLarson

Dog

I agree with where the money is going, but I'll add to your "administrators and teachers who don't do their jobs" the following:

-curriculums that are purchased for high costs and then discarded a couple of years later to buy a new curriculum

-curriculums that require the purchase of consumable materials each year (workbooks--what happened to having the kids copy work onto their own papers??)

-buildings that are not maintained and thus must be replaced entirely

-a growing educational bureaucracy that epitomizes disorganization-at both the local and state level!

-special school facilities for juvenile delinquents, teen parents, and others at risk for dropping out that are spread throughout the city at rented facilities instead of centralized within high schools or other district buildings. The programs are needed but having multiple facilities isn't necessary--they should be housed in buildings ASD already owns.

I could go on.

As for zero reform: I only got involved in the union during the 06-07 year at the end of the year during bargaining and was elected to smaller level positions during 07-08. I haven't been high up enough to navigate true reform yet. With my position this year 08-09 I will be able to examine this issue better and see how reform can be done, but I will be out of town for a number of months for the birth of my special needs son and won't be focusing on this as much as I would have liked until I return to Alaska. Give me some time, Dog, k? I'm only human.... :)

September 5, 2008 - 8:24pm | TheSdog

And where are the teachers?

Curriculums and textbooks often change when the subject matter does not change at all. most of it is because somebody ion your profession is trying to reinvent the wheel and make money off of it. hence, the silence so loud on such things many times.

Ditto on the workbooks where some educator somewhere is getting a comission on each one sold.

Maintenance is also an issue that teachers could approach proactively but often they wait to support the bond. After all, why let moneyget diverted to maintenance that could be added to salaries.

Administration is a disaster without a doubt. Guess what? Many of the people at the head of it all are.... teachers.

True story...

My 5th grader almost had a meltdown last night because he left his "challenge word" spelling list at school. I was actually able to find it on line because he knew it was a Houghton-Mifflin(sp) list. I am sure that the site I got it off was breaking some copyright law.

We do not let big pharma profit for more than 15 years from application on a drug and many other things should be the same. So, where are the teachers leading that charge again?

September 5, 2008 - 9:52pm | MeganLarson

I am here

And there are others like me.

I agree on the curriculum, textbooks and workbooks, however I wouldn't use the word "educator" to describe the entity that decides which curriculum we buy.

The silence is only loud to the public. We teachers really abhor it (switching curriculums when unnecessary.) You should hear them talk about having to switch to Houghton Mifflin. ( And it's worse with Everyday Math.)
They actually employ Houghton Mifflin rulemongers who go into teachers' classrooms and tell them where to hang the Houghton Mifflin materials and what can be put and up and not put up. For example, they said that my first graders would be "confused" if I left up my personal alphabet with pictures that I bought alongside the Houghton Mifflin version. The lame reason? That my students would be "confused" because my version had a horse for H and theirs had a Hat, etc. Um, excuse me, but don't the kids have to figure out that the H sound starts multiple words, not just one??? And another 1st grade teacher had his class make an alphabet with their own pictures to go along--so cute and personal!!--and the HM people told him to take it down.

The one nice thing about everyone switching to HM is that we have a high transiency rate in this school district so if kids switch schools they will know the stories for Language Arts and will be in the same place (if the teacher was pacing properly) at the new school.

My fear is that the district will buy a whole new curriculum in 5 years time. I say if we employ HM we need to KEEP IT for at least 20 years to make it worth the cost!

Admin being teachers: that has not been my experience. Some were teachers in past lives, but certainly not most or all.

5th grade: that is a fun age. I enjoy my 5th grade groups. :)
If you used the list for a student whose district uses that curriculum, it's just fine. There should be other resources on the website for parents, too. You could ask your child's teacher about that.

Anyway, we've strayed a bit off topic: my main point is that I like what McCain/Palin have said about education. I am curious about the details. And with the reform: I'm working on it! We need to be more proactive about maintenance, I agree.

I am a teacher leading the charge. Moi. :)

September 5, 2008 - 2:48pm | rfn

Whistling past yon cemetary?

Especially snce upon the dawn of obamanation, government WILL take over healthcare and WILL mandate participation as a condition of licensing.

I imagine this will give rise to an underground for-mucho-profit "industry" but that should be given a sort of wink-and-nod provided proper taxes are paid on the ill-got gains.

Just another argument in favor of Obama/Biden!

September 4, 2008 - 11:51pm | seewhy

i wonder if megan thinks NCLB is successful, eh.

it did make $2 billion for neil bush. it can't be all bad. maybe meg's one of those that got in there before pensions were done away with in favor of 401Ks. getting her union busted will be just icing on the pop-tart.

September 4, 2008 - 11:25pm | Cartman3_15

Craving

attention tonight, Dog?

September 4, 2008 - 11:02pm | Cartman3_15

"Comic and sad"

Excellent description.

Same goes for Fagan.

September 4, 2008 - 9:00pm | aktraveller

Figure it out

You keep reading negative comments on this rag's website. The rest of Alaska apparently doesn't believe this cr*p and still approves of what she is doing. Apparently they also think that to the 80% mark. It makes perfect sense. I guarantee you that Ivan has no vested interest in her numbers being this high, I'm sure he would have liked them to be a lot lower. Oh well, apparently the truth hurts.

September 4, 2008 - 5:45pm | rfn

Please keep on believing that.

You see, there's no need for the inconvenience of going out to vote in November. Everybody hates Ms. Palin so Obama doesn't need your vote....or any at all! Everybody loves him.

Gotta keep....on....keep on....keep on believing!

Please!

September 4, 2008 - 5:09pm | tommcgrath

Same old tired....

I agree with the poll. I think the blogs are negative due to the same old tired liberals, people who weren't hired, people who lost elections and people that don't like Sara Palin for whatever reason. They are vocal but there are not many of them.
Go, Sarah, the speech was great. For those that credit the speech writer, why have all her other speeches been similiar for the last many years. She just keeps getting better.

September 4, 2008 - 4:59pm | A_L

You have to remember...

If you just based your opinion on the comments on blogs you would think her approval rating was at 20%. But the people who don't like her are a small group, but very vocal.

September 4, 2008 - 11:58pm | seewhy

yep, looks like the republicans might take alaska!

and they might get 80 percent here! so that's, ah, three electoral votes. three the GOP probably had in the bag anyway, to be realistic. but mc cain's still short by around 70 EVs. that's the only approval rating that counts in this contest.

September 4, 2008 - 5:43pm | rfn

"Small"

does have multiple meanings!

A shame that any of them relate to physical attributes, however.

September 5, 2008 - 9:23am | thomja

Then why did 8 out of 10

Then why did 8 out of 10 people where I work say they were feeling very negative..... (very supportive previously including myself). I think most alaskans are afraid to say what they feel publicly, think back to high school and our small town.

September 5, 2008 - 11:10am | rfn

I would be shocked

were 10 out of 10 working, for example, in The Obama For King office not feeling negative toward Ms. Palin.

A lot depends on where you work and the stand the dominant male or female in the office might take. Survival is a strong instinct.

Polls do have a built in problem.

1. On the street you're facing someone who you feel is judging you - just human nature.

2. On the phone, the called you. They know where you live and they might, for example, work in the local assessor's office.

3. Once the curtain closes on the voting booth you're free to vote your conscience or your prejudices. Though I worry about the privacy of that with computerized voting.

Were the polls to give Obama 50/50 odds against McCain I'd figure he'd lose by about 5%. Five years ago I would have said 7% so I guess that represents progress.....

September 5, 2008 - 10:52am | aktraveller

You understand how polls work right?

They are done privately, people feel free to say who they support.

October 30, 2008 - 1:27am | megal_i

paolin You can download to

paolin
You can download to ipod shuffle without itunes(sync to ipod without itunes) or transfer windows to ipod without itunes.

September 5, 2008 - 11:26am | thomja

my error on polling date

It was sort of a spontaneous thing from everyone when they were talking about it. Sort of surprise that others were feeling the same way..... I was in error about the polls, I thought they were old polls. I was only remarking on my surprise when talking with others. It seemed very sincere.

Search Jobs | Place an employment ad