Gimbol's diatribe and screed

Poll reports most not interested in environmental plans

or Poll respondents rank one trick pony

While Dion tried to brand himself as a green candidate, a Strategic Counsel poll for CTV and The Globe and Mail had respondents ranking the parties' environmental plans as follows:
Green Party - 27 per cent
Liberal Party - 16 per cent
Conservatives 12 per cent
NDP - 8 per cent
Bloc Quebecois - 2 per cent
Other - 4 per cent
Don't know - 30 per cent

Shouldn't the ranking be with the highest percentage being at the top of the list ?
Like so:

Don't know - 30 per cent
Green Party - 27 per cent
Liberal Party - 16 per cent
Conservatives 12 per cent
NDP - 8 per cent
Other - 4 per cent
Bloc Quebecois - 2 per cent

Sort of changes the narrative of the story so that the head line contradicts the actual results of the poll.
I've got a contention that when one of the possible outcome of a statistic is "uncertain" or "don't know" it means your poll results are invalid or you set out from the beginning to get a specific answer to fit your narrative.
Further in the story

However, when one factors in the margin of error, the two parties are essentially in a statistical tie.

No clear winner, and when it comes to the cause de jour the "environment" the greens are the one party that respondents indicated ranked the best environmental plan. The wrinkle however is that polls don't allow the respondents to elaborate on what they mean. It also doesn't explain that even though the Greens are ahead of theother parties, the majority of respondents still have no idea what or even if the parties have an environmental plan or whats in it. Does it mean they have the best, or does it mean they are the first to come to mind because its all they ever talk about, read: one trick pony.

posted by gimbol @ 4:13 AM