More Coding Fun

I blogged here, and a day later here, about the 2008 ANES open-ended answers and the difficulties of coding them when it comes to political knowledge. I used Nancy Pelosi as an example and asked whether it's correct or incorrect to call her merely a "member of the House" as opposed to the more specific "Speaker of the House."

Today, a few of the other questions asked of respondents. Asked who was Dick Cheney, a zillion people got it right. Vice president. Favorite answer: "vp he's a jerk. don't give him a gun." I'd count that as correct, I suppose, just because of the "vp" part.

Asked "who is Gordon Brown" (The PM of UK), however, people flaked out. Favorite answers below in quote marks, my snotty comments in italics:

• "Who is Gordon Brown?" I suppose if you don't know the answer, repeat the question.
• "works in the white house? james brown relative?" I feel goood!
  
• "small business administration." Not sure where the hell that comes from.
• "FEMA" You're doing a heckuva job, Brownie. Er, wrong Brownie.
• "Governmental. Is he even a person?" Yeah, kinda, though Tories might disagree.

This item generally gets the lowest number of correct responses. Later today, or perhaps tomorrow, I'll look at the questions on John Roberts, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.