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Fun with polling numbers

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Illinois
Polls

* I really needed a good laugh today, so this new poll did the trick…

A new poll released by a group of Illinois mayors and local officials shows 66 percent of Illinois voters support the Next Generation Energy Plan, while only 17 percent oppose the legislative proposal, an overwhelming 49-point margin of support. As respondents heard more specific details of the plan, it drove overall support for the plan even higher – to 77 percent.

“Illinois voters understand the economic, environmental and reliability benefits and the need for this comprehensive energy legislation, which is why there’s such overwhelming support,” said Clinton Mayor Roger Cyrulik. “Illinois cannot afford to wait any longer – our livelihoods are on the line.”

Yeah. OK.

* Check out the poll’s wording…

In the very near future, the State Legislature may consider a bill called the “Next Generation Energy Plan” that would drive Illinois’ clean energy future by incentivizing companies to keep and develop clean energy resources, especially solar, save and protect jobs, strengthen the state’s infrastructure and secure the future of Illinois’ nuclear power plants. Do you favor or oppose this plan? (PROBE: Strongly/Somewhat)

Well, yeah. When you put it like that of course people supported it, although only 35 percent said they strongly favored it.

A legit poll would’ve also provided the downsides to the proposal. This poll didn’t do that.

* Methodology…

Fabrizio, Lee & Associates conducted the statewide survey of 600 registered Illinois voters on May 9-10, 2016 on behalf of Exelon. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent

If you look at the poll results, two of the least persuasive entities on this topic are Exelon and ComEd. So, expect lots of front groups to start appearing.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:21 am

Comments

Anyone can get a poll to result in numbers that favor them and that is why polls aren’t reliable. It is like advertising on TV when you see 4 different shows stating they are the #1 comedy.

Even the poll recently showing that most people blame Madigan for the impasse on the budget. I personally believe that voters are paying less attention to polls these day. Look at the last election when the GOP took a beating even after spending an outrageous amount of millions to destroy some DEMs. I believe the same result will be coming this November.

Want to review a poll.. just look at Rauner’s approval ratings.

Comment by Radar Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:28 am
ConEdison subsidiary,
The new populist sounding group, “ConThePeople”

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:39 am
That phrasing…

Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:10 am
Exelon has proposed a nuclear bailout accompanied by puppies, candy, and weak incentives for renewable energy. Do you support or oppose this plan?

Comment by Senator Clay Davis Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:22 am
Nuclear has been trying to get itself defined as “clean” for decades. What’s “clean” about 1000 Hiroshima’s worth of radiation in a box, that is permitted by regulators to release radionuclides into the air and water? or worse, which do so catastrophically? or leave behind 10,000 abandoned uranium mines which release radon gas and other radionuclides?
You can marry a pig in silk, and call it your spouse. But eventually, one morning, you will wake up to a most unpleasant surprise.

Comment by DaveK Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:50 am
I conducted a poll, I asked if people would be willing to double thier electric rates so a guy with 5 houses could afford a private jet…. 110% said no…. some people said no more then once…..

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 12:44 pm
DaveK, nuclear is the cleanest we have. All energy sources have side effects, but nuclear’s waste stream is 1) tiny compared to that of other energy sources, 2) the best managed of all waste of any energy source and 3) will serve as fuel for next generation reactors, or even this generation if it is reprocessed. “Radionuclides” are in the air and water all around us, all the time. The amount of that coming from nuclear plants is negligible compared to the naturally-occurring radiation in the environment. Nukes are designed and built to ensure the containment of harmful elements even in the case of the most catastrophic events. In the case of other dispatchable sources (as opposed to intermittent), their waste goes into the atmosphere with catastrophic results as you know. Those dispatchable sources run on fossil fuels and are what you get when you deploy solar and wind. And they will be virtually 100% of what you get if you turn off a nuke. So the question is, do you want to run something that is known to cause 30,000 premature deaths a year in this country, or something that has never caused even one death? Certainly nuclear requires management of its waste, but it is managed more effectively than the waste from any other source of energy. We need to choose the energy sources that leave the least impact on the people and the environment, and that is where nuclear wins.

Comment by Alan Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 12:50 pm
What a predictable joke. Wonder how much ratepayer money Exelon wasted on that turkey. Who did they expect to be moved by a bogus poll like that. This is another example of why they’re losing.

Btw, the CUB poll said, would you support the nuclear subsidy if it would help offset climate change. Even with that help for the bailout, they still got 84% opposed.

Total waste of time and probably about $15,000 of ratepayer money.

Comment by BEST Dave Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 1:54 pm
Dave,
Doesn’t look good to poke fun at one bogus pole with another one that’s just as bad.

Comment by Anonymous21 Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 2:26 pm
Pretty sad Rich when you have to delete comments calling out Dave for being the spokesman for NRG and Invenergy. Can’t handle the readers seeing the truth?

Comment by Called Out Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 3:04 pm
This is a hilarious article given fact Best COALalition released a “poll” of about 90 people and said “~80% don’t support Exelon’s plan.” So is it okay for Best Dave and Best COALalition to do something with nothing said but then Exelon does something similar and gets scrutinized by the owner of this site? Seems extremely biased to me. seems like you are this with Best COALalition and not offering readers an u biased opinion.

Comment by Jim S Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 4:05 pm
@BestDave I’m curious - is that CUB poll scientifically valid and if so, what was the methodology and the margin of error? Or wait, was it just people voluntarily answering it on CUB’s website and you citing it as if it’s legitimate?

Comment by Night Rider Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 4:06 pm
Jim S, are you agreeing with me that Exelon’s poll, received in a press release, is goofy? Because if you are, what’s your point? I never got that CUB poll in a press release.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 4:16 pm
Actually, Rich you pushed the CUB poll through BEST’s advertising on here, how ironic.

Comment by Called Out Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 4:20 pm
===you pushed the CUB poll through BEST’s advertising===

And I posted a whole lot of Exelon’s ads, too. And some other nuke power group’s ads. And ComEd’s ads.

Your point?

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 4:21 pm
Rich,

Your skewed articles are completely obvious, do you not have anything better to write about?

Comment by TimTruth Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 5:48 pm
What happened to the anti-Exelon PR guy? Mr. N-R-G
I-nvenergy, gone again.

Comment by TimTruth Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 5:54 pm
I’m on vacation. Didn’t have time to respond to every inane observation by you guys.

Comment by BEST Dave Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 9:51 am