don't put that in your mouth!

I listened to Kojo oversee the airwaves today while his guests had a pitched battle about dollar bill vs. the dollar coin. If you’re wondering about my inclinations, I’m a dollar-coin guy and a rid-us-of-the-penny dude. There doesn’t appear, nor has there ever, to be any valid reason for disagreement. Not necessarily as an issue with me, but with commoncents (see how I did that? Sneaky). The point of this babbling isn’t to get into a deep discussion on currency and the Bureau of Engraving; the point is about polling and results.

One of the lobbyists for the dollar-coin industry (it exists) pointed out that survey results will always have a built-in percent, he claims 20%, who are opposed to anything you might ask. (As an aside, the lobbyist works for the numismatic folk. Not a word you get blogged at you on a daily basis.) Of course, I immediately started pondering all the polling numbers that no doubt include that 20% of disagreers. I’m probably one them for many questions. The kicker is that they know from the Canadian dollar-coin debate: those that ‘opposed’ the change wouldn’t even consider going back to a bill. They returned to those polled about two years after the change, and they were much than happier with new coins. Maybe there was a new 20% within that group who opposed the questioning…or something else floating out about the universe. I’ve decided that I’m immediately eliminating 20 points from all those polls that disagree with my position. Fair enough.

(P.S. I think I should remind everyone that the coin issue of “weight in my pocket” has zero effect on me – my man bag remedies that issue. I don’t carry anything in my pockets.)