the kicker

Polling Questions: Sly Like A Fox

Fox News has conducted a poll, promisingly entitled, “Does Obama Get Better Treatment by the Press?” Well, we were, of course, in all our media monitor-iness, intrigued. Do people think he does he get better treatment, Fox News? Things start off well. “When asked to rate the objectivity of media coverage of the campaigns,” Fox’s […]

July 25, 2008

Fox News has conducted a poll, promisingly entitled, “Does Obama Get Better Treatment by the Press?”

Well, we were, of course, in all our media monitor-iness, intrigued. Do people think he does he get better treatment, Fox News?

Things start off well. “When asked to rate the objectivity of media coverage of the campaigns,” Fox’s summary notes, “Americans feel Obama gets more of a positive spin by a better than 7-to-1 margin (46 percent more positive toward Obama; 6 percent more positive toward McCain). Just under 4 Americans in 10 (36 percent) says both campaigns are being covered objectively.”

Not too surprising–particularly in a week when the media themselves have been talking about media fixation on Obama. But then. This. Below.

Have you heard any of your friends and neighbors say there is something about Barack Obama that scares them?
Yes 49%
No 50%



Have you heard any of your friends and neighbors say there is something about John McCain that scares them?
Yes 36%
No 62%



Some people believe Barack Obama, despite his professed Christianity, is secretly a Muslim. Others say that is just a rumor and Obama really is a Christian as he says, and point out he’s attended a Christian church for years. What do you believe — is Obama a Muslim or a Christian?
Muslim 10%
Christian 57%



John McCain was held captive for five years in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. Do you think that experience would make McCain a better president or a worse president?
Better 49%
Worse 11%
No Difference (voluntary) 33%



Do you think Barack Obama’s trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East is better described as a fact-finding trip or as a campaign event?
Fact-finding 19%
Campaign event 47%
Both (voluntary) 25%

Sigh.

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[h/t: TPM’s Eric Kleefeld]

Megan Garber is an assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. She was formerly a CJR staff writer.