I haven't seen the data, but let's suppose that were true. Would the Washington Post simply report the results of the poll without raising questions about the tooth fairy's existence? That is how the Washington Post reported the results of a new ABC News poll on public attitudes towards drilling restrictions. The article notes that the overwhelming majority of voters now supports the removal of drilling restrictions. It never points out that the removal of restrictions will have no impact whatsoever on the price of gas for close to a decade, and even when the full effect of new production is felt in 15 or 20 years the impact will only be a 3-4 cents a gallon. The article does attribute a statement to this effect to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but this would be comparable to having a quote from Speaker Pelosi denying the existence of the tooth fairy. The non-existence of the tooth fairy is not a matter of partisan dispute, it is a fact. Similarly, it is a fact that removing environmental restrictions on drilling will have no impact on oil prices any time soon and only a trivial impact in a decade or two. The polling results presented in this Post article are a testament to the incredibly bad reporting on this topic, which has led so many voters to believe something that is clearly wrong. This article provides an example of poor reporting.
--Dean Baker
