Opinionated

The phone rang, and the caller ID showed SURVEY from number 214-283-1316. I was already in a bad mood anyway, so I picked up. It was another automated opinion poll from the conservative Rasmussen Reports organization, the favorite of every Republican in America. This is the fourth time I've participated in a Rasmussen survey, and this one was on the economy, Obama's job performance, and mass murders. There were about 20-30 questions, with the responses collected by punching in numbers on the telephone keypad.

The questions went something like this, for example:

• How do you rate the economy -- excellent, good, fair or poor? Press 4 for excellent...
• Will there be an economic recession in the next six months? Press 1 for yes...
• How do you rate your personal financial situation? Press 4 for excellent...
• How do you rate President Obama's job performance? Press 4 for very good...
• How do you rate the media coverage of the mass murders in California? Press 4 for excellent...
• Do you think there is too much media coverage of mass murders? Press 1 for yes...
• How do you think mass murders like those in California can be prevented? Press 1 for stricter gun control...

Then there were the usual demographic profile questions: sex, age, ethnicity, employment status, income, and so forth. In the past, I've occasionally lied when answering those questions. For instance, if the poll was heavily slanted toward Obama's job performance, I'd give him high ratings, then identify myself as a wealthy Republican. Today, though, I played it straight. I'll need to check the Rasmussen website to see how I compare to the rest of the world.