5/25: The Press & the President

Is today’s news media fair in its coverage of President Barack Obama?  Nearly half of Americans — 49% — think so.  38% believe they are unfair, and 13% are unsure.  Similar proportions of registered voters nationally have these views.

Not surprisingly, there is a partisan divide.  48% of Democrats think the media’s coverage of President Obama is fair while 48% of Republicans think it is unfair.  Independents are more likely to view the press as fair in its coverage of the president than unfair.

Women give the press more credit than do men.  A majority of women — 52% — compared with 47% of men believe the political press gives Obama a fair deal.

49% of Americans also say the quality of the press’ questions is about right in its toughness.  This compares with 37% who believe they are not tough enough and just 5% who report they are too tough. 9% are unsure.  Looking at registered voters, half think the press’ questions are on the mark, and 38% say they are too soft.  5% believe they are too tough.  7% are unsure.

Here, too, there is a difference of opinion between the parties. While 72% of Democrats believe the press’ questions are tough enough, 60% of Republicans say they are not asking the president the hard questions. Independents divide with 45% saying journalists ask the right kinds of questions and 44% reporting their questions are softballs.

What about the fairness factor?  Not surprisingly, of those Americans who generally believe the press is fair in its coverage of President Obama, six in ten think the press’ questions are about right in their toughness.  But, those who say the press treats the president unfairly are more divided with 44% reporting their questions are not tough enough and 40% saying they are about right.

Table: Fairness of Press Toward President Obama
Table: Toughness of Journalists’ Questions

Marist Poll Methodology

5/25: The News Media: It Comes Down to Accuracy and Accountability

Is the media fair?  The question is certainly not a new one.  And with advances in technology, it’s a query that, rightfully, receives renewed attention.

For the record, nearly half of Americans in the latest national Marist Poll — 49% — think the press is generally fair when it comes to its coverage of President Obama.  38% think today’s journalists are unfair.  And, while 49% of residents throughout the nation think the press’ questions toward the president are just tough enough, 37% report they aren’t getting to the heart of the issues.

To those who are cynical of the media, I applaud you.  It is our right and our duty as citizens to question our elected officials.  Unfortunately, though, most of us don’t have and will never have press passes that allow us access to directly challenge our elected officials.  So, we must rely on our surrogates in the press.

Now, many of you might be thinking, “Not any more.  We don’t need the traditional press to uncover the truth. We can research the facts on the Internet, and spread the truth in our blogs.”  As a blogger, I am not one to throw stones.  But, I have to admit.  A hole exists in that logic.  Journalistic standards are often left out of the equation.

One woman who is innately aware of the media’s power and responsibility is also one who could never be accused of avoiding the tough questions, the First Lady of the White House Press Corps, Helen Thomas.  Recently, Ms. Thomas honored the Marist community with a visit to our Poughkeepsie campus and shared her experiences, sagacity, and quick wit with students, faculty, and members of the local community.  And, of course, the fearless Thomas was not shy about tackling the issue of new media.

While Ms. Thomas does believe that those living in a democratic society should be involved in reporting the news, their attempts should not come at the expense of accuracy.  ”Everyone with a laptop thinks they are a journalist.  Everyone with a cell phone thinks they are a photographer,” stated Ms. Thomas.  ”They don’t have any of our standards, none of our ethics.  They don’t understand that we only hold people accountable when we feel we have the privilege to find out the truth.”

Those last two sentences really say it all.  The pursuit of truth should not occur, because someone has a political ax to grind or an agenda to feed.  If either of those is the rationale for digging up dirt, it’s not the pursuit of truth.  It’s the pursuit to uncover something which will promote one’s self-interest.

Think about it.  Anyone can write a blog for the entire world to see.  Are all of those writers unbiased?  Are their stories accurate?  Do they misrepresent the subject matter?  In fact, how can the average reader know if what they’re reading is credible?  The short answer is they don’t.  In traditional journalism, editors make sure their writers adhere to standards that present the facts.  With the emergence of new media, that filter is removed.  Citizen journalists are not held accountable for their publications.

Not all citizen journalists have an agenda, and not all blogs are biased.  In fact, there are many reputable online publications.  But, in order to weed out the fact from the fiction, the every day Joe and Jane need to play an active role.  Each of us needs to research and uncover whether we can trust a particular author.

News flash!  Not everything on the Internet is true.  It’s a lesson we teach our students at Marist every day.  Just as we need to be critical of our traditional media and ensure they are holding our elected officials accountable, we, too, need to question those in the new media and hold them to a similar ethical standard.

5/21: “Stay Out of Politics, Spitz,” Says Majority of NYS Voters

Nearly two-thirds of registered New York State voters — 66% — do not want former Governor Eliot Spitzer to run for statewide office this year.  Only 28% want him to throw his hat into the political ring.  6% are unsure.

Click Here for Complete May 21, 2010 NYS Poll Release and Tables

More New York State voters are against a political comeback for their former governor this year than when Marist last asked this question in its April 14th survey.  At that time, 58% ruled out a 2010 Spitzer run while 30% thought a 2010 political campaign should be in the cards.  12% were unsure.

“Eliot Spitzer’s attempt to reconnect with New York voters is not paying off in the short-run,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.  “He has become more visible lately but not more electable.”

And, what about voters’ opinions on Spitzer’s political future?  A majority of registered voters in New York now give a thumbs-down to any idea of a candidate Spitzer.  52% do not want the former governor to ever run for public office in the future while 43% do.  5% are unsure.

In Marist’s previous poll, voters in New York were more divided.  48% did not want Spitzer to ever return to politics while 45% did.  7%, at the time, were unsure.

Regardless of a possible political comeback, what are New York voters’ impressions of their former governor?  A majority — 54% — have an unfavorable view of him, a slight increase from the 50% of the electorate who had this view in Marist’s previous poll.  The proportion of voters who have a favorable impression of Spitzer — 36% — has also increased.  When Marist last asked this question in mid-April, 28% had a favorable view of Spitzer.  As a result, more voters have an opinion about Spitzer now.  Only 10% are unsure how to rate him compared with 22% who said they didn’t have a clear impression of him in April.

Table: Spitzer to Run for Statewide Office?
Table: Spitzer to Run for Future Statewide Office?
Table: Spitzer Favorability

Marist Poll Methodology

5/20: A Farewell to One of MIPO’s Shining Stars

Nick Mayr shouldn’t be graduating this spring.

No.  Mayr, 21, has not fallen prey to an ailing academic record in need of life support.  Rather, Mayr’s drive and determination have led him to complete his undergraduate studies in three years time.  And, it’s that perseverance which has contributed to Mayr’s selection as The Marist Poll’s featured student.

Like many of MIPO’s supervisors and interviewers, Mayr began his polling “career” by signing up at Marist’s job fair his freshman year.  Although he was familiar with the poll, he didn’t know just what he was in for once he walked through the phone room door.

“I was excited.  I was excited.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” says Mayr.  ”I didn’t really understand the kind of work we did or what it would mean to be an interviewer, what that might require, how it would work.  It was a pretty blank page.”

But, that blank page soon filled in.  Taken with survey methodology, the political science major began studying related coursework with Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, during the 2008 presidential primary season.

“Nick is the model MIPO student,” says Miringoff. “He’s intelligent, hard working, and really embraced the opportunities afforded to him both in and outside of the classroom.”

Mayr’s interest in political science developed at an early age, and so it’s probably not surprising that this self-described “organizer of people” and “builder of systems” became energized by witnessing firsthand how survey data came to life during the historic 2008 primary season.

“I was doing the polling at work.  I was talking about the polling in class, and we were watching the election unfold,” recalls Mayr.  “It was pretty exciting.”

The interconnectedness of his coursework and employment in the MIPO office had an added benefit, too.  It provided Mayr with a broader understanding of the American political debate.

“I have a much better appreciation for where the numbers that are being batted around in the media or by politicians in talking points actually come from, and what it actually takes to get that information, [and] how it’s disseminated,” states Mayr.

Mayr’s interests, though, extend far beyond the survey center.  He enjoys travel and participated in three short-term educational programs abroad during his three years at Marist.  Mayr’s journeys took him to Italy, South Africa, and Israel.  And, of the three, he cites South Africa as his favorite.  It was there that Mayr was able to participate in issues of the developing world, an area of strong interest to him, and he came face-to-face with a polling experience while in the country.

“I realized one day it’s a country that’s kind of straddling the border between first world and third world,” remarks Mayr.  “It really floored me because it made me wonder where we get the information we get about the very poorest of the poor.  How we get it and what we do with it and what it really reflects, because it would be impossible to call them up or to do a web survey which is something we can do here, but we can’t do there.”

His travels to South Africa also affected this socially aware 21 year old in another way.  Mayr says he has always been committed to improving the world.  But, he had a very “hands off” attitude.  Like many, to an extent, he accepted the socioeconomic disparities that exist in the world, reasoning that there was a special type of person who could make a difference, and that person wasn’t him.  However, that all changed after visiting South Africa.

“I think normal people make a tremendous difference in the world,” states Mayr who goes on to say, “I recognized that if there were simple answers, they would have been found already.  If there were people who were specifically talented with this…. then, the rest of us could step back, but there aren’t.  And, when we outsource the responsibility to care, people are left alone.”

So, what’s next for this insightful, 2010 college graduate?  After receiving the MIPO Excellence Award and the top designation in political science at baccalaureate ceremonies and his degree at graduation, he will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall, pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Policy.

But, before he steps off the Marist College campus, Mayr has one very big piece of advice for all those interested in working at The Marist Poll.

“If you’re an incoming freshman, don’t think that you [have to] come into The Marist Poll with skills or with a drive or even a very serious interest,” Mayr counsels.  “If you come, and you are open to the experience, and you are committed to doing your best, the place will open up to you, and you can follow it where you think you fit.”

5/20: Saying, “Goodbye,” to MIPO’s Graduating Seniors

It’s that time of the year, again.  It’s time for The Marist Poll staff to bid adieu to MIPO’s graduating seniors.  Find out who won which awards at the institute’s end of the year ceremony and share in our pride and joy here!

5/20: In Their Own Words

As The Marist Poll prepares to send its graduating seniors off into the proverbial real world, we’ve asked those students to share some of their favorite MIPO memories with us.  Here’s what some of them had to say in their words.

“I have been working at MIPO since spring semester my freshman year and was promoted to supervisor the summer into my junior year. Although I  am not a political science major and know extremely little about politics in general, this experience has fulfilled my educational, social, and professional experience. Over the past four years, MIPO has given me the skills I need to succeed throughout my life. Being such a well-known and respected organization, MIPO has helped me attain a career as an auditor at Ernst & Young. Most importantly, the people I met at MIPO will stay with me throughout my life. I am eternally grateful for the opportunities MIPO has offered me, and I will sincerely miss everyone at MIPO.

- Caileen Collins

“My experience at MIPO has greatly had an impact on my time here at Marist. As an interviewer and a supervisor, I have been a part of MIPO for four years and during this time, I have learned a great deal about myself as well as others. MIPO has given me the opportunity to improve my people skills and the ability to handle difficult and challenging situations with ease. These qualities [which] I have been able to improve upon will help me tremendously in the field of education as I aspire to be an elementary school teacher when I graduate. In a classroom, the unexpected can, and most likely will happen. Being a part of MIPO, I have had quite a few difficult respondents on the phone that required me to think quickly and calmly. Having this type of patience is absolutely essential within a classroom setting and I am thankful to have had my experiences at MIPO aid in shaping who I have become.”

- Kimberly Rastelli

“My favorite MIPO memory is meeting some of my closest friends during my time at the Marist Poll. The atmosphere at MIPO has always been friendly and pleasant to work in, making the projects run smoother. I became a supervisor during my sophomore year and enjoyed interacting with the student interviewers and being able to advise them when it came to conducting the survey — like I had been taught in the past. Being a supervisor taught me many important lessons, such as leadership, patience, and responsibility. I will always look back at my time at MIPO as a pleasant and rewarding experience.”

- Courtney Savoia

“I started working at The Marist Poll my freshman year.  After going through piles of papers and souvenirs from my 4 years at Marist, I came across a drawing.  I clearly remember the night my housemate, Dawn, created this masterpiece in the Spring of freshman year. One of us had just gotten off the phone with a very nice caller from Washington.  I have a loud and distinct “phone voice,” and Dawn drew a caricature of me complete with headset, smiling while I dialed.  After saying Marist so many times in a row, I found I have an accent not reminiscent of where I come from. She included a speech bubble phonetically spelling out the way I read my introductions and, then, continued to point it out after every call.  I’ve had jobs where I dreaded going to work, and I was nervous about managing classes, extracurricular [activities], and a job.  However, I found the perfect job at MIPO, allowing me a flexible schedule and the opportunity to get to know some awesome people.”

- Julia Stamberger

“I have been working at the Marist Poll since my first semester of freshman year. Starting that year, I tried to attend as many Marist Poll events and lectures as I could. Despite not being a political science major, the speakers that Dr. Miringoff brought in for his classes were always really interesting to me and added another dimension to my work at the Marist Poll. At the end of my freshman year, I interviewed to become a supervisor, due to my envy of Margo Peters, David Hochman and the others who always looked like they were having so much fun.

I really enjoyed my time working as a supervisor and getting to know all of the older students at the Marist Poll. I became great friends with them and was really able to learn a lot from them, both about the  Marist Poll, Marist College, and life in general.  I am still in contact with many of these Marist Poll alumni today.  As a supervisor, I was also able to get to know the up-and-coming Marist Poll students and work with them to improve their interviewing skills. It was so interesting to be able to watch them grow over the course of the semester.

At the end of my sophomore year, I was asked to become the Poll Assistant.  And, I was extremely honored to be offered this position and was excited to increase my role at the Marist Poll. Through my work in the office and as Poll Assist during the polling nights, I have grown to love the Marist Poll even more. The nights I have spent in the phone room with Meghann Crawford, Stephanie Calvano, Meghan McKeever and Alicia Buhse are times I will never forget. All of the people at the Marist Poll have truly made my experience one to remember and allowed me to find a second home there. The Marist Poll is just one great example of the saying – “It’s not the work you do, but the people you do it with.”

- Amy Wheeler

5/19: Street Vendor Purchases in NYC: Charge It?

Just how likely are New York City residents to use a credit card when buying something from a street vendor?  Find out the answer in a Marist Poll conducted exclusively for the Wall Street Journal.  To read the full Wall Street Journal article, click here.

Table for The Marist Poll Conducted Exclusively for the Wall Street Journal:

Credit Card Use/Street Vendor Purchase

Marist Poll Methodology

5/19: Americans Believe Global View of U.S. Is Poor

Two-thirds of American residents — 67% — think people in other countries generally view the U.S. negatively.  27% believe America is viewed positively, and 6% are unsure.

“The idea that the U.S. needs an economic recovery is not earth shattering,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.  ”But, these numbers indicate that Americans also believe the U.S. is in need of an image overhaul in the world community.”

When it comes to the nation’s power and influence around the world, 48% of Americans believe it is decreasing.  41% think it is remaining about the same, and just 11% say it is increasing.

Table: Global View of the United States
Table: U.S. Power and Influence

Power Players … One-tenth of U.S. Residents Do Not See U.S. As “Super Power”

Although 78% of Americans believe the United States is one of other super powers around the world, 10% do not think the U.S. is a super power at all.  However, 12% view the United States as the world’s only super power.

What about China’s position on the global stage?  85% of Americans believe it is one of other super powers while 12% say it is not a super power at all.  3% report it is the world’s only super power.

On this question, younger Americans are more likely than are older Americans to say that China is one of the world’s super powers.  92% of those 18 to 29 years old think this is true.  87% of those 30 to 44 and the same proportion — 87% — of those 45 to 59 years old as well as 78% of those 60 and older agree.  In contrast, older U.S. residents are more likely to report China is not a super power at all.  19% of Americans 60 years of age and older have this view compared with 10% of those 45 to 59, 10% of those 30 to 44, and 6% of those 18 to 29 years old.

Table: Status of U.S. as Super Power
Table: Status of China as Super Power

Friends Across the Pond: Birds of a Feather?

A majority of U.S. residents — 57% — say, when thinking about people who live in England, what we have in common is greater than how we are different.  37% believe the opposite is true, and 6% are unsure.

While a majority of white Americans — 60% — are more likely to focus on our similarities with the English people, a majority of African Americans — 52% — and half of Latinos see our differences as more pronounced.

Table: U.S./English Comparison

Marist Poll Methodology

5/19: An American Student’s Experience with Global Perceptions of the U.S.

Rob Schmidt, a Marist College political science major, spent his spring semester studying in London and working in the British Parliament as part of the Hansard Scholars Program.  And, in an interview conducted before the British Parliamentary elections, Schmidt spoke with Political Communication and Politics student, Andrew Overton, about the results of the latest national Marist Poll focusing on the global perception of America, the differences between British and American politics, and his own experiences studying abroad.  This interview was conducted as part of Overton’s senior year coursework.  Read or listen to the interview below.

Andrew Overton
MIPO recently did a poll. According to the poll, 67% of U.S. residents said people in other countries generally have a negative view of the United States. Did you find that was the perception in London while you were living there, and do you have any stories that would maybe highlight the British perceptions of Americans?

Rob Schmidt
Well, I have to say I would agree with that and I would say that’s accurate. I did notice a difference though. If I was to tell people I was from the United States, I would get a much different reaction than if I told someone I was from New York. Telling people I was from New York often generated a better response. I guess New York kind of they have a different mentality towards all types of Americans. I can’t really think of a specific instance, but I still — I get the impression that we have this sense of arrogance and even a sense of almost laziness in terms of just pretty much all aspects of life. The thing obviously now that was the big talk was the health care debate. With everything going on, everyone would ask us: “What’s the matter with you guys? Why haven’t you hopped on board to socialized medicine? It just makes no sense.” And, that was pretty much what sparked conversation when I would tell people where I was from.

Andrew Overton
Interesting. 57% of U.S. residents said in this poll that what we have in common with people who live in England is greater than how we are different. What are your thoughts on that, and what were some surprising similarities you found, and what were some of the biggest difference you found?

Rob Schmidt
Well, I definitely think we have a lot in common, obviously being arguably the two biggest and most successful democracies in the world. In terms of technology, over in London, everyone was glued to their Blackberries either on Facebook, Twitter, reading some type of — reading something, playing some kind of game. Just that kind of engagement in technology was quite similar. The thing I noticed though that was different in terms of reading the news and stuff was that everyone in Britain reads a newspaper. There’s a free newspaper that comes out in the morning and a free one in the evening. When I would be riding the subway to work in the morning, you could almost hear a pin drop, because everyone is sitting down reading their paper, and I would say that’s much different here in the United States. People often are going to the new media, the Internet, and the blogs and stuff for their information. Where that is very popular in the U.K. as well, but definitely in the U.K. that the newspaper industry is still a staple over there.

Listen to the Interview, Part 2:

Andrew Overton
12% of U.S. residents said that the U.S. is the world’s only superpower. Do you think these numbers echo the beliefs of Europeans, and why or why not?

Rob Schmidt
Well, I really didn’t engage in any conservation with anyone in the U.K. about America’s power, world power, but I did get the sense of when I was in London, even though there were different cultural — there were cultural differences, I still felt that London was very Americanized. Or I shouldn’t say Americanized, but it was like America. I did feel like … I did feel very safe and I felt that everything was kind of in sync with the American way of life. I don’t know if that makes Britain kind of equal to a world superpower in — on the United States’ level, but I do think that … oh I should say, I am surprised that only 12% of U.S. residents thought that.

Andrew Overton
How does British politics differ from, say, the U.S. party system?

Rob Schmidt
Oh well right off the bat, I’m sure you know this from doing the Hansard Program as well, every Wednesday they have the PMQs, Prime Minister’s Questions, where Gordon Brown, the current Prime Minister, goes into the Chambers of Parliament and different members of Parliament are able to ask some questions about anything, any type of policy, anything that’s going on. And to be honest, I think America could take that one-hour time interval and put it on Fox, and I think it would get more ratings than “American Idol.” It’s so entertaining. And I think that’s the biggest difference in British politics is that there’s much, from what I saw, much more deliberation among members. I just have a hard time seeing President Obama or even President Bush going down into Congress on Capitol Hill and just getting raided with questions. I mean presidents have enough trouble dealing with scheduled press conferences and staged press conferences and our current members of Congress have a problem even putting on the debates in the Senate and the House on CSPAN, and I think that’s much different in Britain. I think the policies and the politics are much more open to the public. If the public utilizes these resources, I’m not sure if they totally use it to their advantage though.

Andrew Overton
There is a U.K. general election in less than three weeks [on May 6th]. Well it’s two weeks now probably.

Listen to the Interview, Part 3:

Rob Schmidt
Yeah.

Andrew Overton
What is the political climate like there, and do you have any predictions?

Rob Schmidt
Well, when I was there, the Conservative Party was thought to have — was going wipe out Labour this election. Best case scenario for the Conservatives when I was there was that it was going to be a hung Parliament with the Conservatives in the minority, but without Gordon Brown having a mandate to run the country. So, best case scenario was that Cameron and Brown would lead a coalition government, and hopefully, Cameron would eventually either hold another election, or Parliament would file a No Confidence Act against Brown. But, now very recently, I think things are changing. Just … I’m obviously not as engaged in politics as I was — British politics as I was, but I did catch a little bit of the first ever debate held by the three members — Nick Clegg of the Lib Dems, Cameron of the Tories, and Brown of the Labour — and from what I heard and saw, Nick Clegg did very, very well in the debate and that has shifted a lot of the momentum towards the Liberal Democrats and taken it away from the Conservatives and from the Labour. I would still say right now, if I was to make a prediction, that the Conservatives will do well in the election, much — or I think they will do better than the Labour, but I think the third party Liberal Democrats will take some of that away from them; and with this recent thing, I think it makes everything so much more confusing. But that sentiment of big government and failure of — failure to the public, too much spending, I would still safely say is still there, and I think that there’s going to be a lot happening over the next two to three weeks.

Andrew Overton
All right, well thank you so much, Rob. Appreciate your time. I know you’re working hard.

Listen to the Interview, Part 4:

Rob Schmidt
Yeah, and actually I just have another minute. There’s just one other thing I wanted to comment on …

Andrew Overton
Go for it.

Rob Schmidt
… in terms of Hansard. I actually… I had a… With everything with the health care debate going on, I did have a firsthand experience with the National Health Service, the government health care in the U.K. I actually wound up being in the hospital for three days. I came down with an intestinal infection and had to unfortunately be sent home a bit early. But in terms of care, I thought that the care was good. The hospital that I was in was quite comparable to one in the United States. And, I did wait a little while in the emergency room, but that’s not much different than anything here. I was sent home with a diagnosis, and I came home, and I was treated for something else. And, I actually wound up getting much better here in the States. I’m not saying that I was totally misdiagnosed in the U.K., but I think that in the U.K., they were a little bit more pressed for time. I don’t know if it was just my situation, but I didn’t … although the care was good, I didn’t seem to get as much attention from the doctors as I did over here. Like I said, whether that’s due to my time constraints when I was in the U.K., but I think it cleared up some things for me in terms of the care of the nurses and things like that, and I think now that the issue that I have with the whole idea of a “socialized medicine” isn’t the fact of the treatment, it’s the fact of the cost because I luckily didn’t pay a penny for those three days in the hospital. But somebody, some farmer probably in Northern England, is footing my bill. Whether that’s justifiable or not is I think the key component for the debate here going on in America.

5/12: Obama Approval Rating at 55%

President Barack Obama’s approval rating among registered voters in New York State is steady.  55% of voters think the president is doing either an excellent or good job in office.  22% report he is doing a fair job, and 23% say he is performing poorly.

Click Here for Complete May 12, 2010 Poll Release and Tables

Little has changed for president Obama since Marist’s March 29th survey.  53%, then, thought President Obama was doing an above average job, 21% said he was doing an average job, and 26% reported he was performing at a subpar level.

Table: Obama Approval Rating
Table: Approval Rating Over Time

Marist Poll Methodology

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