Hi, all, and happy Friday! I got an email from a subscriber yesterday containing one simple, plaintive sentence: Very discouraging CNN poll this week showing Biden’s poll numbers going way down, even among Dems. That was it. No greeting, no question, no sign off.
Great message today and great advice. I used to watch CNN almost exclusively, but haven't watched a minute of it since they did the town hall with Felonious Trump. I thought that maybe getting rid of Chris Licht would bring them back to the center, but I guess not. Now my go-to station is MSNBC, but I'm finding some of their coverage a bit wearing too. Too much speculation and not enough real analysis. Bottom line, we need to respond to every provocation as you suggest. We need a massive BLUE WAVE to wash away the toxic RED TIDE!
I'm with you Jessica! The "polls" are being used to stoke fear & we all know, especially at this point, that they are useless. Ignore & don't give them oxygen. Focus on what we CAN do! Tomorrow I'm knocking doors for Andy Beshear in a Louisville KY area where doors don't get knocked very often. The next day I'm knocking EVERY door with our team of volunteers in an apartment complex that is home to people who work so hard to make it from day to day. The last time we did this we were able to inform a person that his voting rights had been restored & we were able to get him registered to vote. The look on his face, of dignity being restored, is something that keeps me going & doing what I do. For my 70th birthday, I'll be doing what I did last year...inviting a few of my bestest political activist buddies & spreading out in my neighborhood to knock doors for the entire Democratic executive office ticket..from Gov Beshear to the most amazing Attorney General candidate, Colonel Pamela Stevenson!. Of course we'll have food, libations & cake afterward! I challenge all the September & October birthday activists to do the same! Thanks for your words of hope & action.
Thank you for reminding us that there's no way we can really KNOW what's going to happen; that polls are manipulated and weaponized, so we shouldn't freak out about each new one; and that, regardless of all the cacophony and craziness, our job is to keep fighting, which basically comes down to putting one foot in front of the other, every damn day! Keep up the good work. ❤️
Not to completely ignore polls, but we need to view them realistically.
We are a LONG way out from the actual election, over a year, and there is a lot that changes over the course of that time. (Wasn’t Herman Cain leading around this time in 2019?)
Second, a LOT of the polls we’re seeing these days are not much different than PR releases by Republican-supporting groups. They control what they ask, how they ask, and how to present the results so things seem closer than they are if you actually asked a broad, diverse group.
Example, I saw a recent one that “Trump leads Biden among unlikely voters.” Yeah, people who are *unlikely* to vote. How does polling them tell you anything about how a vote will go?
Like so many others I am simply disgusted with CNN's ENDLESS negative polls and talk of Biden's age. I have always been a CNN reader, but lately they're just ridiculous. The election is a YEAR away!!!
I want to write and tell CNN of my rage about this, but don't know how to do that. Can you help?
You said that so well. Thank you. Take a look at the MAGA bunch and the billionaires. Do they look happy? Are they people you respect or want to emulate? As Martin Luther said, “Even if I knew the world was ending tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree.” Happy Friday ❤️
The CNN poll is BS and heavily skewed. They surveyed almost 60% Republicans and right leaning Independents, and only 30% Dems. CNN has turned into Fox News and I refuse to watch them. This is an extremely flawed poll, and to make it seem that this is the temperature of the country is disingenuous and deceitful. They are owned by big Corp who want to see Biden lose. Same with the WSJ poll where a RW guy was paid by tfg to run that particular poll. https://x.com/muellershewrote/status/1699116331310932431?s=46&t=nr2n_n5w45zBpCMqbdbVlA. So yes, Jessica, I absolutely agree with you that we got to volunteer and get Biden/Harris re-elected and get Dems elected in Congress and the state legislatures. Volunteering is empowering and the antidote to the doom and glooms!!
We know that if we try to find a new Democratic candidate because “President Biden is too old” Trump will win. Biden on his worst day is miles above Trump in his best day ( did he ever have one?😂). If we don’t face reality now and get behind Biden we will NEVER have the chance to find an ideal candidate!
Please emphasize to your readers to STOP reading about polls. Same polls that put DeSantis as trending. Too far out, they don't mean a thing. Keep spreading the word of all the good things Biden's administration has done under steady and inclusive hands. Read the polls, maybe, when the trials have been underway for a while.
Just a note to say that your newsletter buoys me up each day and helps me keep moving forward. You are always pragmatic but also full of hope and optimism. Thanks for making it easy for us to take action.
Re plastics, I mentioned this in a previous comment thread of yours, but it's worth mentioning again for those who missed it. For those who have cats, you can buy containers of the store brand clumping litter at PetCo and then bring back the empty containers and refill them from a trough of their litter that they have in the store (and also get a small discount on the refills.) I have been doing this for many years and thus have avoided buying new cat litter containers for years. It isn't a big thing, but it adds up.
Ciao Jessica - my advice to your reader who is worried about the results of the CNN poll is to first, take a deep breath! Next, head over to Simon Rosenburg's substack (link below). His latest post discusses the CNN poll. Lastly, we can't get too hung up on polls. Good ones are notoriously difficult to achieve and the right tends to 'flood the zone' with poorly designed and executed polls to freak out people and get them to think "Why Bother' Far better, as you suggest is to keep on doing our work.
If I remember correctly that CNN poll had a pool of 1500 people. If one looks up said recent polls it will be found that many have a pool of far less voters. That's like saying this product is the best because 4 out of 5 (add group, say doctors) but they only asked 100 and not all were the same association.
Hi Jess,
Great message today and great advice. I used to watch CNN almost exclusively, but haven't watched a minute of it since they did the town hall with Felonious Trump. I thought that maybe getting rid of Chris Licht would bring them back to the center, but I guess not. Now my go-to station is MSNBC, but I'm finding some of their coverage a bit wearing too. Too much speculation and not enough real analysis. Bottom line, we need to respond to every provocation as you suggest. We need a massive BLUE WAVE to wash away the toxic RED TIDE!
I'm with you Jessica! The "polls" are being used to stoke fear & we all know, especially at this point, that they are useless. Ignore & don't give them oxygen. Focus on what we CAN do! Tomorrow I'm knocking doors for Andy Beshear in a Louisville KY area where doors don't get knocked very often. The next day I'm knocking EVERY door with our team of volunteers in an apartment complex that is home to people who work so hard to make it from day to day. The last time we did this we were able to inform a person that his voting rights had been restored & we were able to get him registered to vote. The look on his face, of dignity being restored, is something that keeps me going & doing what I do. For my 70th birthday, I'll be doing what I did last year...inviting a few of my bestest political activist buddies & spreading out in my neighborhood to knock doors for the entire Democratic executive office ticket..from Gov Beshear to the most amazing Attorney General candidate, Colonel Pamela Stevenson!. Of course we'll have food, libations & cake afterward! I challenge all the September & October birthday activists to do the same! Thanks for your words of hope & action.
Thank you for reminding us that there's no way we can really KNOW what's going to happen; that polls are manipulated and weaponized, so we shouldn't freak out about each new one; and that, regardless of all the cacophony and craziness, our job is to keep fighting, which basically comes down to putting one foot in front of the other, every damn day! Keep up the good work. ❤️
Not to completely ignore polls, but we need to view them realistically.
We are a LONG way out from the actual election, over a year, and there is a lot that changes over the course of that time. (Wasn’t Herman Cain leading around this time in 2019?)
Second, a LOT of the polls we’re seeing these days are not much different than PR releases by Republican-supporting groups. They control what they ask, how they ask, and how to present the results so things seem closer than they are if you actually asked a broad, diverse group.
Example, I saw a recent one that “Trump leads Biden among unlikely voters.” Yeah, people who are *unlikely* to vote. How does polling them tell you anything about how a vote will go?
Hi Amazing Jessica,
Like so many others I am simply disgusted with CNN's ENDLESS negative polls and talk of Biden's age. I have always been a CNN reader, but lately they're just ridiculous. The election is a YEAR away!!!
I want to write and tell CNN of my rage about this, but don't know how to do that. Can you help?
Hey, Jessica. I have been using wool dryer balls for well over a year now.
I have used and reused them, so they last a long time. The do a great job of getting rid of static cling.
I'm sure you can find them at other places other than Amazon or WalMart, but
these two sites at least will give you a visual.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Wool-Dryer-Balls-6-Balls-per-Pack/360465353?
https://www.amazon.com/Laundry-Reusable-Static-Pattern-Shorten/dp/B0B2Z8Q648/ref=sr_1_8?
You said that so well. Thank you. Take a look at the MAGA bunch and the billionaires. Do they look happy? Are they people you respect or want to emulate? As Martin Luther said, “Even if I knew the world was ending tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree.” Happy Friday ❤️
“Yes, we’re scared. Doesn’t matter. All that matters is what we do.” Best part, thank you!
The CNN poll is BS and heavily skewed. They surveyed almost 60% Republicans and right leaning Independents, and only 30% Dems. CNN has turned into Fox News and I refuse to watch them. This is an extremely flawed poll, and to make it seem that this is the temperature of the country is disingenuous and deceitful. They are owned by big Corp who want to see Biden lose. Same with the WSJ poll where a RW guy was paid by tfg to run that particular poll. https://x.com/muellershewrote/status/1699116331310932431?s=46&t=nr2n_n5w45zBpCMqbdbVlA. So yes, Jessica, I absolutely agree with you that we got to volunteer and get Biden/Harris re-elected and get Dems elected in Congress and the state legislatures. Volunteering is empowering and the antidote to the doom and glooms!!
We know that if we try to find a new Democratic candidate because “President Biden is too old” Trump will win. Biden on his worst day is miles above Trump in his best day ( did he ever have one?😂). If we don’t face reality now and get behind Biden we will NEVER have the chance to find an ideal candidate!
Please emphasize to your readers to STOP reading about polls. Same polls that put DeSantis as trending. Too far out, they don't mean a thing. Keep spreading the word of all the good things Biden's administration has done under steady and inclusive hands. Read the polls, maybe, when the trials have been underway for a while.
Just a note to say that your newsletter buoys me up each day and helps me keep moving forward. You are always pragmatic but also full of hope and optimism. Thanks for making it easy for us to take action.
Re plastics, I mentioned this in a previous comment thread of yours, but it's worth mentioning again for those who missed it. For those who have cats, you can buy containers of the store brand clumping litter at PetCo and then bring back the empty containers and refill them from a trough of their litter that they have in the store (and also get a small discount on the refills.) I have been doing this for many years and thus have avoided buying new cat litter containers for years. It isn't a big thing, but it adds up.
Ciao Jessica - my advice to your reader who is worried about the results of the CNN poll is to first, take a deep breath! Next, head over to Simon Rosenburg's substack (link below). His latest post discusses the CNN poll. Lastly, we can't get too hung up on polls. Good ones are notoriously difficult to achieve and the right tends to 'flood the zone' with poorly designed and executed polls to freak out people and get them to think "Why Bother' Far better, as you suggest is to keep on doing our work.
Have a great weekend & thanks for all you do!!
https://simonwdc.substack.com/p/on-the-polls-new-podcasts-and-the?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
If I remember correctly that CNN poll had a pool of 1500 people. If one looks up said recent polls it will be found that many have a pool of far less voters. That's like saying this product is the best because 4 out of 5 (add group, say doctors) but they only asked 100 and not all were the same association.
Ah... Thank you!