WHAT POLLS TELL.

WHAT POLLS TELL. A new poll seems to suggest that Americans like the surge in Iraq, after all:

In a dramatic finding, a new poll shows a solid majority of Americans still wants to win the war in Iraq - and keep U.S. troops there until the Baghdad government can take over.Strong majorities also say victory is vital to the War on Terror and that Americans should support President Bush even if they have concerns about the way the war is being handled, according to the survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies.The poll found that 57 percent of Americans supported "finishing the job in Iraq" - keeping U.S. troops there until the Iraqis can provide security on their own. Forty-one percent disagreed.

And in other news, have you stopped beating your spouse yet? As Horse's Mouth explains, the reason for the fairly "dramatic" findings is precisely in the kinds of questions the poll contains. Here is an example:

The first finding -- that 57 % support "finishing the job" -- is based on asking respondents whether they agree or disagree with the following statement: "I support finishing the job in Iraq, that is, keeping the troops there until the Iraqi government can maintain control and provide security for its people." What does Johnson, the pollster I spoke to, think about this question?"It's designed to elicit a positive response by putting respondents in the position of saying that they don't support 'finishing a job,'" Johnson says. "It's not a straightforward wording at all. It's also put in the first person to personalize it. In polling when you use the first person you generally get a more positive response."

Read the other questions, too. They give a beautiful lesson on how not to conduct a scientific poll.

-- J. Goodrich