Wow. NYT wins this week's award for most misleading headline (Tea Party Backers More "Educated?"?)

Here is the headline:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/politics/15poll.html?partner=rss&emc=rss">Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated
By KATE ZERNIKE and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN
Published: April 14, 2010

The article contains about 1300 words, but does not mention any polls--or any evidence at all--that suggests anyone in the Tea Party is more educated than the average America. I looked for a link to the poll in the article, but found nothing. No discussion AT ALL. What an irresponsible headline. And what lazy journalism; both these writers deserve a pink slip.

What's more, the article actually disproves the notion that Tea Party Backers are more educated, with paragraphs such as this one:



Remember when newspapers cared about accuracy? When you paste a big headline atop a story, you damn well better focus on the topic. This article just concentrates on how rich Tea Party backers are, as if that demonstrates anything beyond the obvious; that old, retired, rich people with little connection to legitimate political news sources tend to vote Republican. SHOCKING.

The poll referenced in the article probably does show something that indicates this sample of "Tea Party Backers" have some education, but it should be heavily scrutinized, because it is most definitely an anomaly, considering the great amount of polls that consistently suggest Democrats, liberals, progressives, etc., are more educated than self-identified conservatives, and the average American.

it isn't hard to be more educated than those idiots.

they can and often do lie to themselves, usually for emotional reasons, about what they know and what it means.

Which I suppose shows that intelligence doesn't instantly translate into common sense or rationality.

I say "had" because when I was down in Austin in March we decided to hook up, do a little fshing, catching up and having some backyard bbq. Like I said he works for a huge law firm in Austin and makes $100,000+ salary. His wife also has a well paying job at her daddy's car dealership, they've got no kids so they're doing very well but no way are they bringing in $250K a year. We'd met on vacation in Belize, had a lot of fun together and politics never came into it. I knew that this guy and his wife were Fox Newsers but I hadn't seen them since Obama took office. Well during the fishing I got a hint that this guy had gone completely over to the dark side. I was able to change the subject while we were out on the lake and enjoy some fishing but when we got back to his house, they teamed up on me. I mentioned a funny YouTube video about IT guys and he said he had a good one to show me. It was some rightwing bs about Obamacare to scare up the TeaBaggers. We never finished the video. I immediately started refuting every point in the video, they started quoting Beck/Hannity/Fox talking points and the discussion started getting heated. I finally said hey I'd come over to have some fun with friends and that this wasn't any fun, got my jacket, said Good Bye and walked out. I doubt I'll ever see them again.

I guess it's kind of like religion. If our friendship depends on my political or religious persuasion I don't need your brand of friendship.

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on DU, and these people are freaking nuts. Excuse the clinical terminology.

These folks are NEVER going to vote for a Democrat - not in 2008, not in 2010, not in 2012. The republican party is working their asses off running an astro turf operation so they can preach to the choir.

What a bunch of shit.

made me spray my drink out my nose!

'(Tea Party Backers More "Educated?"?)'

Now, I can't remember where my thoughts were going after that. I know I had "thoughts" while I was reading your post, but I can't remember what they were. I think my IQ must have crashed just attempting to digest such drivel, and frankly, I'm haven't stopped laughing.

I need to clean my keyboard and screen now, thank you.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36528044/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/

Somehow I really doubt they're more educated than anyone else. They can't fucking spell for christ's sakes.

From the polls I've seen these people are the same 28% that supported GW Bush at the end of 2008. Slightly more wealthy, slightly higher percentage of college attendees than your "average" American. If this is all the Republican party has going for it, well let Mitch McConnell and Sarah Palin have it. I'll go with the majority of Americans.

didn't, their rich parents might sue the school--and certainly wouldn't give money to the school. But like G. W. Bush, these kids don't actually get an education while they take up space in college. They just get drunk and network with their future cronies.

This post should be plastered all over.

K&R

Not a book, but an entire library.

in this...maybe an uncle or brother that is a racist piece of RW shit, but they love them anyways.

People with no money or education?

I notice they quote a "wealthy and more educated" medical transcriber....whose opinions are stupid.

NYT, you have fallen far and fast.
I used to read that paper, but no more.

mark

Phone poller: "... college degree?"

Tea bagger: "yeah (remembering the Couric/Palin exchange on reading), I've gone to college" (quietly thinks: 'Bob Jones University is accredited, izn' it?', or 'bible college counts, don' it?')...

THEY'RE LYIN' REPUBLICANS- be skeptical!

Please see my other posts here under voxpop88.
Peace.

as "Document Reader: Complete Poll Results" page 41
http://documents.nytimes.com/new-york-timescbs-news-poll-national-survey-of-tea-party-supporters?ref=politics#document/p41

What was the last grade in school you completed?
    Not a H.S. grad  H.S. grad  Some college  College grad  Post Grad

All      12             35           28            15          10
TeaP      3             26           33            23          14 

And for 'richer', 48% of all respondents said family income was below $50,000, and 44% above; while 35% of teabaggers say the family income is below $50,000, and 56% above (20% teabaggers over $100,000, as opposed to 14% for all respondents)

37% Said they are college grads, compared to 25% avg. U.S. pop.
33% Attended "some college"...

and:

47% get info about the Tea Party from television
64% believe Obama's admin. has increased taxes for majority
66% doubt global warming
66% favorably view Palin
82% see illegal immigration as serious problem

Palin was skewered by Katie Couric for not reading (newspapers OR books), Republicans and "former Republicans," are quite aware that the public in general do not view them, or their representatives, as having the educational bona fides to back up their claims and complaints regarding the new "regime," and the Change(s) that are ensuing.

Apparently some percentage- this is the number I covet (I guess about 15- 20%, arrived at by haruspex & some very-involved metrics), as does anyone who really knows these folk- "stretched" the truth a tad.

Unless Bob Jones University degrees count.

Thus, silliness such as this doesn't bother me in the least.

Similarly, I care little what rocks think about the Euler-Lagrange formula, nor what trees think about Kant's transcendental deduction of the categories. Idiots calling each other smart? (shrug) Whatever gets them through the night.

Dey is a-lying, every bit as much as they are cheating, corrupt, selfish, end-justifies-the-means philistinic racists- I tried to euphemize, but, you know...

see my other posts on this thread, and the alternate follow-up headling: "Less-educated Republican Fibber Mcgees Fool NY Times/CBS Pollsters- AGAIN."

37% Said they are college grads, compared to 25% avg. U.S. pop.
33% Attended "some college"...

and:

47% get info about the Tea Party from television
64% believe Obama's admin. has increased taxes for majority
66% doubt global warming
66% favorably view Palin
82% see illegal immigration as serious problem

Palin was skewered by Katie Couric for not reading (newspapers OR books), Republicans and "former Republicans," are quite aware that the public in general do not view them, or their representatives, as having the educational bona fides to back up their claims and complaints regarding the new "regime," and the Change(s) that are ensuing.

Apparently some percentage- this is the number I covet (I guess about 15- 20%, arrived at by haruspex & some very-involved metrics), as does anyone who really knows these folk- "stretched" the truth a tad.

Unless Bob Jones University degrees count.