What exactly is wrong with looking at a poll before acting?

[AJH032]

Remember back during election time, Bush and the GOP were accusing John Kerry of flip flopping and just doing what the polls said at the time. Well, what exactly is the problem with that? Aren't these our elected officials? Aren't they elected to do what we want them to do? Shouldn't it be a GOOD thing if politicians use public opinion polls to influence their policy decisions, since it's the closest thing to showing what we the people actually want? Or, am I wrong? Is it better if a politician is stuck in ways that he/she is convinced are right, regardless of what the public thinks? Kind of a random question, but what do you all think?

[wtmusic]

1. good question

however, these people are supposed to be "leaders", so in theory they know more about shaping policy and not rely on what a mostly-ignorant public expects

[wli]

2. aren't they supposed to inform the public to convince them, then?

Seriously, it's bordering on where direct democracy sounds preferable to what these charlatans are doing.

[wtmusic]

7. agree

and I support term limits of one year for everyone in public office.

Many advantages, the main ones being:
1) Politicians wouldn't have enough time or money to campaign, so there would be very little of it
2) Only the people who care would take the time to vote every year
3) No lame ducks

Not direct democracy but a lot closer.

[AJH032]

3. true

and on some issues, like say, economic policy, that could apply. But when it comes to social issues and things of that nature, I don't see a problem with politicians changing as the American people change.

[wli]

4. I sure as heck wish they'd looked at CAFTA polls before acting

95% opposed means something is seriously wrong with their "representation" if they pass it anyway.

[uppityperson]

5. you see,we gotta stay the course to honor those who sacrificed,911 911 911

Nothing is wrong with representing the people who chose you to represent you. Perhaps that is their problem.

[Syrinx]

6. leaders should act on principle

And wouldn't you know it, the Bush administration is the most poll driven presidency in history... except in matters of vital importance, in which they've ignored the collective wisdom of the American people, and gotten us in deep doo-doo. The American people are pretty good at judging grand things, but they choose wrongly every time in less important matters.

[Montauk6]

8. I dunno...

It seems to me the issue is settled when the official is elected (esp. if it's a blowout mandate, UNLIKE the last election). That's why candidates have policy statements on where they stand on the issues.

The problem with Butthead is that he's the KING of flipfloppers and poll slaves yet he dares point a finger at Kerry. "Pot, meet kettle."

[Sgent]

9. The problem is

that in 'merica, a President is supposed to have the courage of his convictions. He's supposed to be strong, upright, and know where he stands. He's not supposed to pander to the "people" -- but supposed to do the "right thing" regardless.

Now, that sort of president has served us very well in the past -- think the Civil Rights movement where Kennedy & Johnson's leadership gave us the greatest advances in civil rights since the civil war.

It also served us terribly in during the Reagan administration -- where Democratic leaders, knowing they had the majority, continued to pass his legislation due to polls.

I think a healthy respect is needed, but to be a visionary leader, they must plot a course and take us there -- often kicking and screaming.

Johnson rightly pointed out the the Democrats would lose the south because of the Civil Rights Act of 64, and he was right -- but he did it anyway.

[bluestateguy]

10. That's the dilemma

George Gallup believed that public opinion polls promoted democratic accountability by letting the politicians know what the people thought about current events and the performance of elected officials. After all, we only have elections every couple of years, but politicians make decisions that affect people's lives every day.

The American people are as much to blame for this problem as anyone else. They say they want bold, decisive leaders who say what they mean and mean what they say, leaders who take positions on issues and stick with them no matter what the consequences, and leaders who do what's right no matter what "the polls" say. But we are those polls. Those polls are us, and when politicians ignore them then we get angry with them for ignoring the will of the people and somehow not being faithful to democracy. Then we complain that politicians are unresponsive to the American people and that they won't meet our demands.

[Psephos]

11. Governance by poll is the short road to the tyranny of the majority

Human decisions are a product of both reason and emotion. Polls are good at taking a snapshot of current emotions, but as we all know, decisions made rapidly in the heat of emotion may later be regretted. Good leaders have to look past the current moment, at longer-term goals and methods of reaching them, especially in this instant-gratification culture.

In a republic, elected officials are not supposed to do whatever we want them to do whenever we want them to do it, anymore than parents should do whatever their children want them to. They are elected to govern. To govern well, one must not only listen to the desires of the governed, but also use reason and resources to project the results of political actions, lead with a combination of strength and fairness, and exercise sound judgment even when it is not popular to do so.

In early 1864, polls in the North were more than two to one against continuance of the Civil War. For years, the Union Army had been nearly ineffectual against the inferior armies of the South because of a series of unaggressive generals. Above protests from his military advisors, Lincoln promoted Grant to run the Union Army, and then, certain he would now lose the fall election, made plans for what he would be doing after being voted out of office.

Several of his advisors pointed out that not only was Grant unpopular with both the Army and the voters, but he had a problem with whiskey, too. To which Lincoln replied, "Find out what brand he drinks and send a barrel to each of my generals."

Flouting the polls, Lincoln did not lose the election, and did not lose the war. Do you think he erred?

"God rests in reason, and moves in passion." That's from Kahlil Gibran. Not a bad credo for the rest of us, too, including our politicians.

Peace.

[skids]

12. Well, given the piss-poor quality of polls...

If polling was done correctly, there might be a case to be made for putting a lot of weight behind it.

But most polls fail miserably to get to and express the consensus of core beliefs behind an opinion on a particular issue. If they did, most legislation and directives could be tweaked to truly reflect the will of the people.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Part of being a good representative is using your own judgement

There's a reason that we have a congress instead of asking people to vote themselves on actual laws. Most people don't have the time to read and understand legislation. Representatives and Senators tend to have a better understanding of the laws that they are voting on than the general public does, because that is their job.

For example, most polls show that over 70% of Americans support capital punishment. But many of those people polled probably don't know about innocent death row inmates, how the death penalty is applied unfairly to minorities, and how it costs the state more than keeping people in prison for life. Legislators, who have studied the issue, are more likely to know all of these facts before they make the decission than will the general populace.

[flordehinojos]

14. the way i look at it, is that POLLS eat at PRINCIPLES.

so that someone looking at polls might put aside a PRINCIPLE in favor of the more popular POLL to navigate himself/herself in political waters.

[auburngrad82]

15. If a poll is truly an accurate picture of public opinion

and the politicians are really there to represent the people, then I don't see a problem. If they had followed public opinion they would have renewed the assault weapon ban, we would not have to worry about Roe v Wade, and we probably wouldn't be in Iraq.