POLITICS
Drilling favored, Crist dips in new poll
High gas prices have more Floridians giving a thumbs-up to oil drilling, while Gov. Charlie Crist finds his luster fading, a new poll shows.
Sept. 20, 2008
By Lesley Clark and Jose Pagliery
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/top-stories/story/694114.html
Accompanying graphics for poll: http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/09/19/17/101908_flapoll.source.prod_affiliate.56.swf
Reader comments at:
http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=58212&nav=messages&webtag=kr-miamitm
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September 20th, 2008
Dear Mr. Gyllenhall:
1.) Why is the Miami Herald continually unable to report on off-shore drilling intelligently?
2.) When are those much-discussed positive changes at the Herald going to start paying tangible dividends for readers?
I mentioned that I knew about the promise of some positive changes in my email to you of July 18th re the Herald's coverage of the Broward Charter Review Commission.
I ask because it doesn't seem like they're anywhere close to happening.
(Editor's note: please see my post of August 3rd, 2008 titled, A Letter to Anders Gyllenhaal of the Miami Herald on Local News Coverage. http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/letter-to-anders-gyllenhaal-of-miami.html)
As for the article I reference today, are Floridians polled for the story told that for the purposes of the poll, "off-shore drilling" means a facility at least 125 miles west of the state in the Gulf of Mexico, before responding?
Your pie graph on page one today gives the impression that they are, but then, as always in a Herald story on this subject, you quote someone in a story saying something that indicates they don't understand this.
That they don't favor drilling if it mars the view.
The view?
From what, 125 miles away?
There's no internal logic!
People can have the opinion they do, of course, but a poll where respondents are free to disregard the poll's basic predicate are of zero use to anyone.
"Supporters include Pinecrest attorney Nick Bohn, a Pinecrest lawyer, who said he believes drilling off the coast could relieve U.S. dependence on foreign oil. He said he's not worried about seeing oil rigs off the shoreline."
(Question: Is Nick Bohn a "Pinecrest attorney" or a "Pinecrest lawyer?" Most likely somebody who's sorry he agreed to be quoted by the Herald.)
In any case, you quote Nick Bohn as saying, "If it's because it's an eyesore, then put it out someplace they can't be seen,'' the Republican said. "You probably couldn't see them 10 miles off.''
Yes, that's true, but under current federal rules, they have to be 125 miles out at a minimum, i.e. 12.5 times farther out then the suggested ten miles.
The story makes Mr. Bohn seem like an idiot.
Honestly, IF someone can see the rigs that far, pay 'em the same as 'Noles coach Bobby Bowden and Gators coach Urban Meyer -combined- and get them to the Pentagon, pronto!
Florida has a large percentage of voters who are self-identified Independents, perhaps as large as 40%, if not more, in urban areas.
Everyone who follows politics here accepts as common knowledge the idea that those Independents are the voters who (largely) decide statewide elections.
But they are completely invisible in this story because it never quotes/interviews anyone ID'd as an actual Independent, only Republicans and Democrats. Why?
What do the large number of Independents in Florida think?
After reading this story, I still don't know.
Instead, the article states, "That number, however, reflects a partisan divide..."
Does it, really?
To me it reflects a poorly explained and executed poll.
Later, the article states, "The strongest opposition was in the Tampa Bay area."
Hmmm....interesting.
So what exactly are those numbers for that part of the state, and why don't you wan tto share those numbers with your readers???
Is it 80-20%, 70-30%, 60-40%...?
It's very frustrating!
Reading this article was so painful that all I can do is repeat what I learned in the late '70's at North Miami Beach Senior High School, "Me duele la cabeza!"
Bewildered in Hallandale Beach
