The 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll
Spring has finally sprung and what better forum is there than the 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll to take America's pulse on the issues in full bloom? Questions on what kind of appetites Americans have for space travel, spending tax refunds, what type of new car they might buy next, who they would want as their commencement speaker, what is their most trusted source for daily news and who they would want to see on a new $500 bill? Other probing questions include how candid they are with their doctors, whether they would jam other people's cell phones if they could, which author they would most want to have penned a newly discovered unpublished book, and finally, what is Swarthmore? Now, the results - some surprising, some less so.
One of the great uniting events in America occurred when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The pride, joy and exhilaration of that moment was palpable to those who remember it. Flash forward to present day where nearly 60 percent of our respondents wouldn't go into space even if it was free. Is it because we're bored with the dream of space travel, or is it that NASA hasn't been given a big enough budget to inspire the next generation? Either way, it's a sad day for those that want a more inspired and unified America that only a third of those asked would go where only a relative few have gone before.
It is no surprise that 47 percent of those polled would pay off debts with their windfall, for we have gone from being a nation of workers to a nation of debtors. What is even more disconcerting is that our nation has become the world's biggest debtor and is going even deeper into debt with every refund it sends out. If that's not confusing enough, 30 percent of respondents would put their refund in the bank, hopefully not one of the banks that helped us to become the world's biggest debtor nation.
Nearly 90 percent of Americans claim to hold nothing back from their physicians during their checkups. The follow up question would be what percentage of that 90 percent are being fully candid with their pollster when asked that question? If it's all on the up and up, we appear to be evolving into a healthier society in terms of doctor patient relationships and by extension their ability to give us the best care possible.
Most every college graduate knows that cash is king, and Warren Buffett (20 percent) has more of it than almost anybody. He is also admired for his investing acumen and for his homespun wisdom and witticisms. Right behind him is Sandra Bullock (19 percent) and the cachet that comes with being the reigning Academy Award winner. Oprah (17 percent) and Tom Hanks (15 percent) would be perennial favorite for the consistent excellence of their work.
Have you got change for a $500? Most people would say no, but if they could 18 percent would be changing a "Reagan" and 15 percent would be breaking an "MLK." Fifty three percent want the government to leave our money the way it is. It's probably because Americans are sick of the country printing more money of any kind.
Is that your cell phone ringing or mine? A surprising 72 percent of Americans say they would never jam someone else's cell phone if they could. Guess they've never been cut off in traffic by an oblivious driver in an SUV with a cell phone glued to their ear or been sitting next to a master of the universe in the midst of a loud, self absorbed conversation on a train.
Now this is a juicy one. Of course a new play by Shakespeare would be a stunner, but anything new by these other writers would cause a sensation too. Many people think Salinger's estate is the most likely candidate to be sitting on an unpublished book. So, who done it? Who won the poll? The queen of whodunits herself, Agatha Christie with 24 percent, followed by Dr. Seuss, the beloved author of the books of your childhood, with 21 percent. Tolkien, with 13 percent and Austen with 11 percent are next, and surprisingly if you were a male or female writer from the 40s and 50s with a large ego and a following to match, you don't seem to be in as much demand as you used to be.
Americans are evenly split 47 percent to 46 percent as to whether Toyota's problems would make them more likely to "buy American" the next time they go car shopping. It's difficult to deduce why those who might be more inclined toward American cars feel that way. Is it due to diminished trust in foreign car makers, or an increase in solidarity with American workers and jobs? Now that Toyota's Lexus GX460 has ceased sales due to safety concerns, Americans more than ever might really rather drive a Buick.
Is America becoming a cable nation? With CNN getting 32 percent and Fox News 29 percent as the most trustworthy source of news, it would appear so. But if you factor in that around 50 percent of those that chose Fox were Republicans and 46 percent of those who chose CNN were Democrats (surprise) it might be an indication that America's propensity for fractious ideological divisions has spilled into how they choose to receive their daily ration of news. The big three networks (13 percent), The New York Times (8 percent) and the Wall Street Journal (7 percent) reflect an increasing diminution of old model, mainstream news delivery. Is it a seismic shift in the news business or an anomaly based on CNN's and Fox's all news all the time formats that tend to appeal to news junkies? Film at eleven...
Only a third of those asked knew that Swarthmore is a small liberal arts college. As Americans increasingly identify with universities through their athletic teams, size and marketing campaigns, venerable colleges like Swarthmore will continue to be pushed to the margins of our national consciousness by bigger, brassier institutions. And don't bet the venerable alumni of colleges like Swarthmore will ever let us forget it.