>At 05:03 PM 12/28/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>I suppose I'm not supposed to forward specific posts, but participants on
>>the American Association for Public Opinion Research list, some of them big
>>academic and commercial names, are collectively scratching their heads over
>>the inability of the U.S. media to set the political agenda - i.e., on
>>impeachment - and over the Republicans' refusal to pay attention to what
>>the polls are saying. Crisis material!
>>
>>Doug
>>
>
>I too, am confused, Doug. What are you saying here? Which crisis? And is
>this an open list?
No, you've got to belong to AAPOR.
It seems the opinion-making machinery isn't working like it used to, and pollsters, as integral parts of that machinery are confused. In normal times, the media, polls, and politicians jointly create a consensus public discourse. Jody Powell once said that "we" can't tell people what to think, but "we" can tell them what to think about. Not this time, and the professionals are confused.
Doug