Should Your Opinion Really Count?

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In a recent Time commentary, Michael Kinsley noted, “Americans are unhappy with President George W. Bush right now. In the New York Times/CBS News poll, his approval rating dipped to 29% during July before nosing back up a point. Approval of Bush's handling of what is delicately called "the situation in Iraq" is only 25%. By 53% to 39%, we disapprove of the way he is handling the war on terrorism. "Looking back," 51% say that the U. S. "should ... have stayed out" of Iraq, while only 42% think the invasion was "the right thing."

Watch any U.S. news coverage, and you’ll find Bush’s sinking numbers repeated over and over again. But are the opinion polls that gather these numbers really important? Does your opinion of a topic or situation really count if you are not well informed? And who do YOU answer to when your opinion changes based on new information?

As Kinsley also pointed out: “…the real problem with opinion polls is…they reinforce the impression that everything is a matter of opinion, and all opinions are equally valid. … [C]itizens are treated like gods, dispensing or withholding their "approval" on any basis they wish or none at all.

He’s not talking about infringing on freedom of speech, but rather, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for the choices we make when we exercise our freedom of speech. And when we know that we’re completely anonymous, totally unaccountable for the opinion we give, should our opinion really count?

Here’s a hypothetical example: “Should the U.S. continue with its troop surge in Iraq?” If 1000 people are polled, 69% say “No”, and 22% say “Yes”, the rest “undecided”, is that truly an indication of the will of the people? Most would automatically argue, yes, the numbers show that a majority of citizens in the U.S. should not continue with its troop surge. But what if you had a better picture of the pollsters who participated? What if the numbers looked like this: Of the 69% who said the surge should not continue, 50% said they watched or read the news 2-3 times a week, 41% said they read or watched about 1 hour per week, and the rest had less than 1 hour per month of current news or information to base their decisions on. The 22% who said “yes”: 100% of respondents were active duty military who had recently returned from Iraq and had first hand knowledge of the effects of the troop surge. Are all opinions in this poll of equal weight? Not exactly.

Ninety percent of the electorate once approved of Bush's "handling" of terrorism. Now only 39% approve. That means at least 51%, or more than half of all Americans, used to support Bush on terrorism but don't anymore. You might say they have decided they were wrong, but opinion-poll democracy requires no such self-criticism.

Is it fair to hide behind the poll numbers of nameless, faceless opinions, without ever knowing what their qualifications were to give those opinions? Or are we willing to take personal responsibility for our answers, and be held accountable to the public for our opinions?

Think of it another way: A medical doctor may be fully qualified to give his medical opinion on my medical condition, but I’m not necessarily going to let him pick the paint color for my kitchen. His expertise is limited to one known area, and until he’s proven his expertise or knowledge in another area, his personal opinion doesn’t really count in my decision making.

The same goes for each of us the next time an opinion pollster calls our home or approaches us with their clipboard in hand. Ask yourself, am I really qualified to give an educated and informed answer to these questions, or am I’m counting on my anonymity to be able to say whatever comes to mind?