Abnormal Interests

Would someone please tell me why nearly 50% approved of the way Bush was handling his job when the best he could get was a 42% approval on the direction of the country? All this may be within the statically limits of the poll. But I continue to wonder what areas Bush is working on other than Domestic and Foreign Policy. Oh yeah, he also works Marketing and that is good for several points in any poll. For those interested in the details, the more detailed questions followed the same pattern as the general one.

There is good news in this. Bush is being divorced from his policies. This is good for all progressives in the coming 2006 and 2008 elections. Bush will not be running in either one, but, his fellow neo-cons will be. Progressive incumbents and challengers can attract the policies without attacking Bush and, by association, the ever so slim majority that voted for him in 2004. It appears to me that it is time for a relentless attack on administration policies and letting Bush himself of the hook. I like to attack Bush as well as the next guy but I'd rather win the next two general elections.

"same sex partners" ≠ "gay partners"

The other set of questions that were of Abnormal Interest has to do with same sex marriage. The pollsters asked almost exactly the same question of two different sub-groups of the sample.

24) Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry OR gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry OR there should be no legal recognition of a gay couples relationship?

• Marry - 23%
• Civil unions - 34%
• No legal recognition - 41%
• DK/NA - 2%

25) Which comes closest to your view? Same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, or same sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry, or there should be no legal recognition of a same sex couple's relationship?

• Marry - 25%
• Civil unions - 28%
• No legal recognition - 42%
• DK/NA - 5%

I'm not sure what this means. Notice that the number of those favoring civil unions is significantly smaller when the question was asked concerning same sex couples. The number without an opinion also when up. My guess is that the gay political community has done a better job than I thought in associating positive images to the word "gay". The minority diehards against any legal recognition of gay partnerships are not fooled by the question. They no what they are against and they are against it. Those in favor of guy marriage were not fooled much either. But, it is exactly that "civil unions" if OK group that needs to be cultivated and developed.

Taking the results of this poll to be empirical evidence for a marketing program, it at least does not argue against using the word gay. It may argue for using the word. Among the mistakes I thought Kerry made was referring to Cheney's daughter as being a lesbian. I thought at the time he should have said "gay" or, perhaps, "in a same sex relationship." It appears that "gay" is the better choice.