NEWS AND OPINION:
One bustling fixture of the political world is about to get scrutinized. Closely. RealClearPolitics.com has announced it will soon launch a “Polling Accountability Initiative” — a new plan to peek at the ever-present polls which crowd media coverage.
“There have been many news stories over the last several months questioning whether polling is broken in the United States. While there are certainly challenges in the polling industry, it is not entirely accurate to suggest polling is broken,” RealClearPolitics said in a statement released Thursday.
“There are many quality pollsters and media outlets that are doing excellent work in a constantly changing technological and political environment. However, there are also pollsters and news organizations that are doing less-than-stellar work and, unfortunately, many of the polls from these organizations receive a disproportionate amount of attention,” the news organization said.
“To help address this problem, in the coming weeks RealClearPolitics will be rolling out a beta version ranking polling organizations. RealClear Politics will rank pollsters by their performance in recent elections, and will of course evaluate their performance in the 2022 mid-term election in just under a month. RCP’s goal here is simple. Accuracy is the foundational bedrock of public trust. To that end we will be evaluating pollsters almost exclusively on one metric — accuracy in reflecting the actual results,” RCP said.
‘GASLIGHTING OVERDRIVE’
“Welcome to Inflation Day.”
That catchy phrase comes from National Review columnist Jim Geraghty, who cites the newly released Consumer Price Index, which reveals that the latest annual inflation rate in America is 8.2%.
“There will not be any last-minute burst of good economic news to save Democrats’ bacon in the midterm elections. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t use that metaphor, because the cost of a pound of bacon has increased from $5.58 to $7.37 since 2020,” the columnist said.
“Man, you need an electron microscope to spot any silver lining in these inflation numbers,” he added.
“All of this makes for a target-rich environment for Republican challengers to Democratic incumbents,” Mr. Geraghty said.
The title of the columnist’s new analysis, meanwhile, sums up the situation: “Inflation report dashes Democrats’ last hope of changing the economic narrative.”
And of course, hope springs eternal among those who must scramble to explain such things. Another headline also tells all: “Biden economic advisers shift into gaslighting overdrive to spin the mess they helped create,” noted Twitchy.com, an online news organization.
THE GAS FACTOR
Well, here’s one more thing for the Democratic Party to worry about. The majority of likely U.S. voters — 54% — say rising gas prices will make them more likely to vote for Republicans in midterms.
So says a Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group poll, which also found that only 33% of voters say the soaring prices will make them more likely to vote for Democratic candidates when the time comes.
“These numbers shed light on President Biden’s desperate attempts to hide from voters the impact of his administrations’ far-left energy policies,” said Mark Meckler, president of the aforementioned Convention of States Action, in a statement to Inside the Beltway.
“From recklessly depleting our nation’s strategic oil reserves, to pressuring OPEC countries to postpone cuts in oil production through the November elections, it’s clear that they’re playing politics with our pocketbooks. That is both bad politics and bad policy,” he said.
The poll of 1,000 likely midterm voters was conducted Oct. 8-11.
‘POST-ROE AMERICA’
Organizers for the upcoming 50th annual March for Life — a massive, peaceful, pro-life demonstration in the nation’s capital on Jan. 20, 2023 — have revealed the theme for the event: “Next Steps: Marching forward in a post-Roe America!”
The exclamation point is intentional and the spirits are upbeat.
“This year’s historic march will not only be a celebration of the monumental Supreme Court victory that overturned Roe v. Wade, but will also mark the start of a new leg on our journey towards building a culture of life,” March for Life President Jeanne Mancini said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“We must encourage our federal and state legislators to protect life, and we must be eager to protect, serve, and walk with families in our communities through the support of local pregnancy centers and maternity homes. We are so grateful to all our marchers and are ready to continue to advance the cause of life in America,” she said.
Tony Dungy, the legendary Hall of Fame football coach and NBC Sports host, will lead the team of speakers for the event, which typically includes pro-life lawmakers and dedicated advocates for the cause.
Donald Trump, by the way, was the only president to speak at the March for Life, doing so in 2020.
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POLL DU JOUR
• 68% of U.S. adults disapprove of the way President Biden is handling inflation in the U.S.
• 63% disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling the economy.
• 63% disapprove of the way he is handling gun policy.
• 61% disapprove of the way he is handling immigration.
• 58% disapprove of his efforts to help the middle class.
• 58% think he is doing a “poor job” in keeping important campaign promises.
• 57% disapprove of the way he is handling foreign affairs.
• 44% disapprove of the way he is handling the coronavirus pandemic.
SOURCE: A CNN/SSRS poll of 1,982 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 3-Oct. 5 and released Wednesday.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.