Liers, dam liers, and pollsters

Common Sense is often troubled by some of the "polls" and poll results bandied about as support for one or another position.  Here's a classic case of a poll so biased as to be meaningless.

1) America, do you support the full repeal of President Obama's healthcare plan Congress passed in 2010? Yes, repeal it completely No, don’t repeal it at all No, repeal just parts of it

2) Should Congress restore $500 billion in Medicare benefits for seniors that the Obama plan cut? Yes, restore the Medicare benefits No, don't restore the Medicare benefits

3) Do you support President Obama's desire to give 12 million illegal aliens amnesty and a path to citizenship? Yes, I support Obama's amnesty plan No, I oppose it

4) What do you believe Congress' top priority should be in 2011? Cutting spending Cutting taxes Paying down the national debt Improving the nation's security

5) Do you plan on voting to re-elect President Obama in 2012? Yes, re-elect No, for another candidate Not sure right now

6) America, who did you vote for in 2008? McCain - Palin Obama - Biden Other

So how is the poll biased. Consider:

1. Repeal of health care plan - There is no option to say "don't repeal it at all".  Nor is there any option to say "add a single payer option" or any other enhancement to the plan.  All you can say via the poll is "repeal" some or all of the plan.
2. Medicare benefit restoration - The question doesn't recognize provision of the health care plan that allowed the cuts without effecting Medicare recipients.  It's not possible to say "leave the plan along and let the cuts stand."
3. Amnesty for illegal aliens - Since there is actually no such plan the question is entirely bogus.  The so called "plan" is a figment of the radical right in the blogosphere and nothing more.
4. Congressional priority - No "other" choice.  Moreover the choices are drawn from the radical right agenda.  Additional no way to prioritize choices.
5. 2012 vote preference - Actually a fairly reasonable question.
6. 2008 vote - Another reasonable question.

Finally, the poll respondents are entirely self selected.  Without some sort of representative sample the poll is entirely meaningless!  Additionally, the "poll" is sponsored by a clearly partisan web site.

Common Sense thinks that when considering any poll result you ought to take a look at what the questions were, how the poll was conducted, and who conducted the poll.  Absent that poll results are just numbers masquerading as facts.  Far to often, in Common Sense's view, polls are little more than deception boarding on lies.