Polling Gone Haywire: Majority of Democrats Now Want Obama Third Term

Last month they wanted Hillary even if she'd have an indictment under her belt.

7.1.2016

One minute a poll finds that the majority of Democrats want Hillary Clinton to continue her presidential campaign even if indicted, the next they say they wish Obama could serve a third-term in office.

Polling data provided to The Hill by WPA Research reveals that 67 percent of Democrats would opt for an Obama third term over a Clinton-presidency. Yes, despite the record number of people out of the work force, a stagnant economy, and the ravages of Islamic terrorism on display near-daily, only 28 percent of Democrats say they are "ready" for Obama to leave office. Another 6 percent just have no clue. The Hill adds:

Obama is enjoying a surprisingly strong approval rating for a president serving out the final months of his second term.

A Washington Post-ABC News survey released this week found Obama’s net approval rating approaching 80 points in positive territory among Democrats. Former President Bill Clinton was at about 60 points positive within his own party at this point in 2000, while former President George W. Bush was under 40 with Republicans.

At the same time, a Gallup survey from April found Clinton’s net approval rating among Democrats hitting a new low. She had a 63-point net positive approval rating last November. That plummeted to only 36 points in April.

“The results should give pause to the Hillary Clinton campaign as Democratic respondents clearly prefer the status quo to a Clinton presidency,” a memo from WPA said.

Polling data have become increasingly erratic. For instance, recent polls indicated that 84 percent of the nation believes we cannot defend ourselves from another terrorist attack -- clearly indicating that Americans have no faith in the administration when it comes to national security -- and that they are dissatisfied with the nation's trajectory, yet the same polls conversely give Obama high favorablity ratings. In another poll, the majority of Americans indicated that they find Hillary Clinton dishonest and untrustworthy, yet that same poll also shows the same people view Donald Trump less favorably than Clinton.

One day a poll finds Clinton leading Trump, the next day Trump is leading Clinton -- sometimes within the margin of error, sometimes not. A recent Wall Street Journal poll pegged Trump and Clinton in a dead-heat while an ABC-Washington Post poll gave Clinton an 11-point lead. When you read the fine print barely visible below the WaPo-ABC poll, it is revealed that the survey was also "conducted in Spanish."

Disparate polling criteria and framing bias reflects further inconsistency. Just recently, a poll revealed that the majority of Democrats believe Hillary Clinton is best suited to lead the country even if indicted, yet soon after, the poll cited above reveals they wish Obama could have a third term instead. Another poll, conducted again by ABC-WaPo, found the majority believe Obama has done a great job, but "hope the next president does things differently."

Huh?

The point is that polls and their credibility need to be taken with a grain of salt. Pundits and campaign strategists are on the airwaves daily touting the set of polling data that best prop up their side, but it is for naught. Trump and Clinton have yet to take the debate stage, the national party conventions have yet to take place, and we are still four months away -- light years in the political arena -- from the November election. Much can change in that time, as history has already proven.