How pro-choice are we?

Gallup released a poll this week that has the Religious Right (and, these days, is there any other kind?) screaming in glee. Because it seems to say that America has started hating abortion. A record low 41% of Americans now identify as pro-choice.

But the chronically brilliant John Fugelsang looked at the numbers, and that isn't what it says at all.

(Current TV video stolen from Crooks and Liars.)


And yes, this is the same John Fugelsang who has permanently linked Mitt Romney to the Etch-a-Sketch, for his attempts to rewrite his past positions on just about every subject.

Turkey In the Straw II - The Turkening!

So, Michelle Bachmann has won the Iowa Straw Poll. What does this mean for the country?

She's gotten more coverage in the last few weeks than she could've hoped for. On the basis of his showing in the straw poll, Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race. Our submissive media has been trumpeting this particular "first American caucus" as if it were the most important indicator of the election.

Well, I think it's important to note one little detail about the history of this particular poll.

The Ames Straw Pole has been held a total of six times (in 1979, and then in 1987, 1995, 1999, 2007 and now in 2011). In all that time, it correctly predicted the upcoming president of the United States once. In real terms, that is an accuracy rate of 17%.

It's roughly as accurate as throwing a handful of corn over a list of candidates, and letting the chicken choose the winner.

So the results mean less than nothing, and we can expect to see the GOP continue to do what they've always done.

That, my friends, is the importance to the American political landscape of the Ames Straw Poll.

PSYCHIC OCTOPUS RECEIVES DEATH THREATS

Markos of the Daily Kos: Meet your new pollster.

If you've been following the World Cup, you know about Paul, my little nephew who lives at Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. So far, Paul has used his nine brains (one main brain and eight smaller ones in each arm) to pick the winners.  Paul has perfectly predicted the outcome of all six German World Cup games.

Last week, Paul predicted Spain to win over Germany, a prognostication that did not please his captors. Today, his prediction came true: Spain won, which means six for six, a new record for my precocious cephalopod nephew.

For his own safety, we need to hustle Paul out of Germany ... fast.  Markos needs a new pollster. How about Paul.