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I meant specifically on this issue, which clearly, due to its nature, is highly partisan along R/D lines given the fairly obvious incentives to believe one way
by gfodor 6y ago
I meant specifically on this issue, which clearly, due to its nature, is highly partisan along R/D lines given the fairly obvious incentives to believe one way or another to gain power. Do you think on this specific issue (that the election was stolen) that Independents ought to tell us a bit about what the average, non-partisan belief is?
- dragonwriter 6y ago> Do you think on this specific issue (that the election was stolen) that Independents ought to tell us a bit about what the average, non-partisan belief Not in any meaningful sense; largely for related limits to those discussed upthread for general centrism: research on voting behavior that has shown those who identify as independents are not particular independent, and contain an identifiable major subset as reliably partisan as those who identify with a major party. If by “average, non-partisan belief” you simply mean the belief of the average person who doesn't identify with a major party, then, sure, you will have defined it such that independents are key. But this isn't useful information.
- gfodor 6y agoI guess this leads to the question of if there is any way to use polls to get a read on how apolitical observers feel on a given issue through party affiliation. It sounds like the answer you have is "no", but I guess that leaves little value in polls in issues such as this one, given the salient issue (at least, to me) is how strongly it is held by non-partisans. I guess not for this thread.
- dragonwriter 6y ago> I guess this leads to the question of if there is any way to use polls to get a read on how apolitical observers feel on a given issue through party affiliation There is no such thing as apolitical observers.
- gfodor 6y agoObviously - but partisanship isn’t a zero or one