[lbo-talk] Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Bush and Iraq

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

> 
> 
> Question 11 baffles me.  If you "somewhat" Support the war, doesn't
that mean you mostly
> oppose it?  Sholdn't the Net number for opposition (both mostly
opposed and stongly
> opposed) be calculated together and read a Net of 38% opposed to the
war?
> 

Not really, because Rs also have the choice of "somewhat oppose" which
can be interpreted as "mostly support" according to your logic.  Hence,
it is proper to count the "somewhat" questions as stated i.e. either
support or oppose.  The fact of the matter is that most Rs tend to avoid
'extreme' answers on Likert scales i.e. 'strongly oppose' or 'strongly
support'  and tend to select more moderate positions on either side of
the scale.

Wojtek