Talk Elections

Friday, July 22, 2011

Evaluating God

While many polls have asked what Americans’ beliefs are about God, there has been little measurement of voters’ evaluation of its performance. It turns out, if God exists, voters would give God a strong 52-9 approval rating. This is hardly a surprise considering the vast majority of the country believes in an infallible deity, but some of the crosstabs are quite interesting.

There is a considerable age divide on God’s approval with those 18-29 approving 67-18 compared to a 40-6 approval rating among those over 65. What jumps out from this divide is not just that young voters are more likely to be critical of the job performance of the omnipotent figure, but that they are considerably more likely to voice their opinion. Only 15% of those 18-29 said they were unsure whether they approved of God, while 54% of those over 65 said they were unsure. This could indicate that the youth is much more comfortable answering silly questions about religion while the elderly feel a question on God’s approval is taking religion too lightly. There is also an ideological divide over God’s performance. Those who identify as very liberal approve of God 54-18, while those who identify as very conservative are almost uniform in their approval, 61-4.

God also performs well on some of the issues it could be responsible for if it exists. God scores its best rating on its handling of creating the universe. The big bang may be messy, but most voters must feel it gets the job done as they give God a 71-5 rating on the issue. As for the animal kingdom, if God exists it may have been off its game when it evolved up the giraffe’s laryngeal nerve, but perhaps the elegant Monarch butterfly makes up for it as voters give God a 56-11 rating on its handling of animals. As one would expect, God’s worst ratings are on its handling of natural disasters; however, Americans may feel the occasional earthquake or hurricane builds character as voters give God strong marks, rating it 50-13.

The reason God was referred to as “it” rather than “he” in the poll was because not everyone who believes in God believes God to be male. Using “it” in the God questions allowed them to be more inclusive.

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2011/07/evaluating-god.html

So this isn't an Onion article? PPP really thought it was a good use of resources to run an approval rating on God?

Why should they poll politics all day long ?

...God, Tender? Do you approve of God? I think they could find something better to poll.  :P

BTW, do you know any politician that is/was more popular than God in any poll ?

That politician could then quote PPP and run a re-election ad including:

"I´m officially more popular than God™"

That didn't work out so well for the Beatles.

...yeah, don't try that in America.

52% isn't that good, though I guess she'd pick up most of the undecideds. They should have polled God vs. Obama.

Poll Lucifer... might as well now.

Already done on a regular basis (http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx)

Just goes to show how hackish PPP really is.

Hackish? Quite silly, sure, but it's hardly hackish in favor of any party.

Still the most accurate pollster, even if they don't show favorable results in all polls for Republicans.

Disapprove. He hasn't done a thing for unemployment and he hasn't made good on his promises.

Responsible for the deaths of millions every year. HP.

I'll give my approval after he shows himself. Until them I'm an undecided.
If he does exist, I think he needs to do more to make sure justice occurs. Give a swift kick in the *** to all the scum who harm innocent people.

Why didn't they do a God/Oolon Colluphid matchup?

Bush right after 9/11? LOL

I made an "Opinion of God" thread here if you want to discuss. https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=138509.0 (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=138509.0)

Not entirely true.  He hasn't destroyed the planet by flood, as He promised He wouldn't, since the last time.

Strongly disapprove. You need to be pretty evil to approve of such a guy.

He gets a big 'HP' vote from me, currently for ordering Michele Bachmann to run for president.  Oh yeah, and killing millions of people too.  But the Bachmann thing was unforgivable.

What if God was one of us, PPP? Just a slob like one of us?

If these were the 80's, he'd have a much higher approval rating. He would be followed by Ronald Reagan and Bill Cosby.

His 2,700 page campaign bio is unique in that it shows him in a more unflattering light than most, but that only serves to humanize him.  This weighty tome is present in most of America's homes.

()
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:2011_floods

Has anyone even seen this guy?
I haven't heard of any campaign events of his, the guy's invisible.
Looks like a paper candidate to me.

Could He be vulnerable to a primary challenge with such low (relatively speaking) approval ratings?

God is overrated, but he probably still wishes he had Hillary Clinton's 71-26 approval rating.

When's God up for reelection? 

Well, he sent down his son to campaign for him back in the day, but that didn't turn out so well.