A headline on a small Daily News story made me grin.
Almost 20% in US say Swift tied to Biden plot
So you’re saying, “This is good news?!”
Hold on a sec and I’ll explain. But first, the actual number is 18%, not 20%, and here’s the question the Monmouth poll asked which elicited that affirmative response:
“Do you think a covert government effort for Taylor Swift to help Joe Biden win the presidential election actually exists?”
To me, it’s important to know the questions out of which poll numbers are derived. If someone asked you that question, you might not simply respond, “No,” like 72% of respondents. You might say something along the lines of “Are you effing kidding me?”
More than half the country (over 50%) seems to cling to the belief that over half the country (50%) is hooked on the awesome majesty of Trump and the dark conspiracies churning the underbelly of America to erupt against him and toss him into prison and bankruptcy.
Not so.
For several years now, I’ve tried to point out that it isn’t “half the country” still supporting Trump. Polls which say 65% of Republicans are still furiously MAGA are highly misleading: last time I saw an average, registered Republicans represent less than 25% of registered voters. So even if you’ve accepted that 65% of Republicans are still MAGA, that isn’t half the country. That’s only 16.25% of the country.
This is pretty sad but not frightening.
So that Daily News headline should serve as a good news corrective. Only 16.25% of the country remains fucking nuts.