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Timing is Everything
Release of the latest edition of the George Washington University Battleground 2006 Poll is supposed to be a breaking-news event.
On Thursday morning, political reporters gathered at the Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel, near the White House, to hear pollsters divulge the latest results.
But instead of getting a scoop, reporters found themselves peering into a time capsule, learning what Americans were still thinking back in the day.
The poll was conducted Sept. 24 to 27. The sex scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., began breaking on Sept. 28. He resigned on Sept. 29.
Since then, the Foley fallout has dominated the news. The new poll captures none of it.
For what it’s worth, the poll shows that even in pre-scandal days, the Democratic Party enjoyed an eight-point advantage over Republicans on a generic congressional ballot (49 percent to 41 percent). The majority of likely voters believe the country is on the wrong track (62 percent) while a majority (52 percent) think the country is worse off than four years ago.
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