Obama the...what?

A poll of people's opinions of Obama by Harris Interactive reveals some startling results: one in three think he is a Muslim, one in four that he was not born in the U.S., one in five that he is "doing many of the things that Hitler did" and one in seven that he "may be the Anti-Christ". Gosh.

The poll has made it to a large number of newspapers without passing through any kind of journalistic filter. (Here's an all-too-predictable example.) Is it all as it seems? Perhaps not. Psephology, the study of elections, polls and votes, is more interesting that it might at first seem. Many factors affect how people answer questions, from the obvious (what incentives you offer) to the more subtle (how you phrase the question.) In this short reply piece, psephologist Gary Langer points out some problems with the poll.

A balanced piece on climate change and the prudent response to it.

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15720419