The New York Times has a new poll out today, co-sponsored by that most reputable of news agencies, MTV. The poll samples 17-29 year olds across the land. Because of past history, I’m not going to bother reviewing Adam Nagourney’s summary of the poll. I’m not even going to read Adam Nagourney’s summary of the poll. Instead, I’m going to rush head-long into the numbers, unguided by Adam’s insights.

The first question reads, “Suppose a reporter stopped you on the street and wanted to interview you. If he or she asked you to name the most important issue facing people of your generation today, what would you tell them?” Note the cute phrasing. Instead of just asking the question, the Times’/MTV’s pollsters felt it necessary to conjure some fantastic scene where a reporter stopped them on the street. What’s going on at the Times? Has everyone there lost their mind? I was hoping every question would create similar fantasy circumstances, e.g. “Suppose you’re making your bed, and someone asks you about Hillary Clinton…”

Predictably, the kids are alright, but still marginally more liberal than their more aged and wizened fellow citizens. I found it somewhat surprising that the kids felt the same way about Bush as the general population. As far as the future crop of pols is concerned, the only ones that quicken the pulse of America’s youth are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. 18% of the youngsters are enthusiastic about him, 17% about her. Encouragingly, 0% are enthusiastic about Al Gore.

The self-esteem generation has learned to look out for itself. 86% think “that government policies covering loans, grants, and student aid that helps (sic) pay for college” are very or somewhat important. 67% think the current batch of candidates aren’t making that issue enough of a priority.

Once again, I haven’t read Nagourney’s coverage, but I assume his lead derives from the results to this tendentious question:

50. Which do you think would be better for the country: 1. Having one health insurance program covering all Americans that would be administered by the government and paid for by taxpayers, OR 2. Keeping the current system where many people get their insurance from private employers and some have no insurance.

62% of the kids would opt for the socialist experiment of a single payer system. In a way, I guess this is good. I think it was Churchill who said “If you’re not a communist when you’re young, you have no heart. If you’re still a communist when you’re old, you have no brain.” Good to see the kids have their hearts in the right place, even if the phrasing of the question drove them to that particular place.

What I found really interesting about the poll was Question 62. The question in question asked, “As a result of the United States' military action against Iraq, do you think the United States is more safe from terrorism, less safe from terrorism, or hasn't it made any difference?”

31% said “more safe”, 19% said “less safe”, 47% said “no difference” and 2% said “don’t know.” All I can say is, “Huh?” After being pounded over their young heads for half a decade that Iraq has been a fiasco on every level, the kids lean in the direction that it has made us more safe? Maybe the headline to this poll should be, “Old media’s influence increasingly marginalized.”

Okay, I give in. I’m going to go read Nagourney’s article and see if Question 62 and its surprising results made it into his write-up. Here’s a surprise – they didn’t. If they begin awarding Pulitzers for missing the lede, AdNags is going to have a shelf-full before he’s left the “journalism” game.

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