According to the latest NBC/WSJ survey, six out of 10 say they support offshore oil drilling, with most saying the benefits to the economy outweigh the environmental harm, even though we have an oil spill catastrophe playing out before our eyes.If I was asked the same question about offshore drilling, I would favor limited drilling, a sort of weaning, while we ramp up other energy sources. But there's not an option for that answer in the poll. So, if I had to answer the question, I'd have to answer yes, which is why I hate polls. They never reflect the reality. They're never in context.
Even after the recent — and highly publicized — oil spill in the Gulf Coast, that’s the overwhelming sentiment from the public, with six in 10 Americans supporting more offshore drilling, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
In addition, a majority believes that the potential economic benefits of offshore drilling outweigh its potential harm to the environment. msnbc
What if the poll asked: If wind power could generate more power than oil in X number of years, would you prefer offshore drilling? What if the poll asked: Would you favor another energy source in the future?
I think pollsters are masterful at asking questions to generate a certain answer. I also think poll journalism is just lazy journalism. Every day, poll after poll after poll gives all the talking heads and journalists stuff to talk about when they could be digging up real substantive stories. Once the poll is out, the media blabbers on about it for days, which shapes public opinion.
