Re: [Two truly 'independent' variables would be *unlikely* to 'act as one'] "Yes, exactly, I agree, but this is not the case here... as I said earlier, there is only one independent variable and one dependent variable, i.e., Bush and success or failure respectively, ..."
But, AS I POINTED OUT, from the question alone you have *no way at all* of telling if people WANT SUCCESS (or not) for AMERICA... or if they WANT SUCCESS (or not) for 'Bush's plan'.
NOT identical things AT ALL. :-)
"but, it further dramatizes the point by demonstrating how much people hate Bush..."
I disagree on that. It may SUGGEST that, but I believe there is *absolutely no way* to tweak out the causal factor, to ascertain whether people's answers are motivated more by attitudes about the desirability of American 'success' in Iraq... or by their attitudes (pro or con) towards Bush.
(Or, whether answers are motivated 50% by one and 50% by another... or 90/10... or 60/40, etc. No way to know from that one question alone. All that can reasonably be SUPPOSED from the answers is that --- to some unquantifiable degree --- negative public feelings about Bush personally probably push down the numbers that would have otherwise answered in the affirmative, that they were looking for 'success' in Iraq.)
Again, though, it may be supposed, but it is not quantifiable because of the sloppy wording. |
