Quote from Cache Landing:
I agree, the surveys are generally anything but scientific in nature, and I generally cringe while reading them. But if we can make the assumption that the sample population was random and then count on the fact that the survey was simple enough that it would be hard to screw up, then at least one piece of information can be obtained. That is, your statement that Rush/FNC listeners are generally the uneducated and disinformed, is categorically incorrect.
Only
IF we could say that, it would therefore be true. However, if we take a look at the current state of political based polling in America today, we find an extremely biased sample set as well as extreme leading questions that are formulated to elicit a particular response from the respondent. Thus, one (certainly not all) of the primary reasons why a Fox New Opinion Poll on the 2008 race for the White House, was perpetually out of step with the MSNBC polls, on any given question about "who was winning," "who might win," "who would make a better President," etc. The Mason Dixon Polling numbers were even more skewed than the Fox numbers!
So, we have to be careful about not just sample size, but Poll Engineering, as well. One of the reasons why I don't much pay attention to poll numbers. Even Zogby, has fallen off the deep end this past Presidential cycle, with numbers against Obama that simply made no sense whatsoever, based on the final outcome.
Quote from Cache Landing:
Common definitions of "educated" place college grads at the top of the list. Testing knowledge of subject matter is relatively easy with a series of say 10 non-partisan questions about our country.
Well, you know a book was written about this a long time ago: "What the still don't teach you at the Harvard Business School." (along those lines)
Sure, I was thinking of baseline education when I made the initial comment, but we all know that your "genuine" education does not truly start until you hit your first real job, have to start paying your first real set of bills on a monthly basis and have the real responsibility of taking care of yourself in the real world - not to mention a family. Even still, I was thinking far beyond that level of life experience, into the realm of truly understanding why Government does what it does (keeping inline with the OP's original theme).
Based on the OP's original post, the real education comes when one understands the Big Three (3) and how they operate: Government, Business and Politics. Now, some may argue that I left out Religion and failed to articulate the problem correctly by instantiating the issue as belonging to the Big Four (4). If one were to argue that against my initial premise, I would not put up too much of a fight, LOL!
Quote from Cache Landing:
I'm not saying that these listeners are smarter than their liberal counterparts, just that your statement has already been shown to be incorrect many times. I believe most recently by the Pew research institute.
I don't have time, but do a simple search of "Rush listeners more educated" and you'll find several surveys.
Well, it does not follow the mainstream thought, that Republicans, on par have less education than their Liberal counterparts. I'm not making any personal assessments here of the quality of an individuals heart based solely upon how many sheep skins they hang from their office wall. I'm just stating what is already in the public ether.
Best Schools being primarily on either the East or West Coast, or the North East, etc. All of this political territory is currently standing as Liberal country, garnering mostly Liberal votes at the polls. Again, I'm making no personal slight on anyone, here - just stating the facts. Are there some good Universities in the South and the Bible Beltway, you bet! Some very outstanding Universities indeed, but I think you get my broader point about the Liberal territories nationwide.
Frankly, from a purely political standpoint, I wish more Americans would take a hard-line move to the center, where we all belong. America is best govern from the center, best lead from the center, best managed from the center and most of the brightest and long lasting ideas come from center'esk formations, often times out of bi-partisan conglomerates out of both Houses of Congress (again, staying within the general framework of the OP's thread).
What Faux News does is horrid. Plain and simple. What MSNBC did during and immediately after the 2008 Presidential election, was also petty but Faux, by far, holds the Horrid Media Award of all time right about now. I think people have to dig deeper, do their own research and derive their own, well reasoned, rational, well thought out positions about what is truly the causal reality behind our failures as a nation. Here we sit on the biggest economic implosion since the great depression, twin deficits unimaginable just 20 years ago, a national debt service level that we can no longer manage, an auto industry basically ruined for life if we don't change quickly enough, a manufacturing sector left behind in the dust merely because we favored the outsourcing of middle class American jobs overseas as opposed to building things here at home, educational institutions that are now being rivaled by Germany and Japan with China in the not so distant future being a major educational platform for its people, high (true) double digit unemployment, two (2) wars that will ultimately cost tax payers trillions when all is said and done, a broken down health care system costing tax payers even billions more per year than it has to, no real exportable growth industry on the horizon to speak of, etc., etc., and not a single member from Congress is going to jail for it? That ain't right.
Where is the accountability? Where is the
informed outrage? Bernie M., goes to jail for running a scam. But, which Congressman went to jail behind the S&L Bailout of the 80's? What Congressman went to jail behind Freddie & Fannie? Presidents getting re-elected in the aftermath as we all sit around watching re-runs of Melrose Place? That makes no sense to me.
We have lost our footing as a healthy Republic. We need to change course and that cannot happen until more Americans get seriously educated, well beyond what they still don't and won't teach you at the Harvard Business School.
That's my take on the matter - yours may differ.
