ABC's Golodryga: Fact that 66 percent of Facebook respondents said "a Democratic president [could] keep America safe" "surprised us"

During ABC News' coverage of the January 5 ABC News-Facebook debate, ABC News correspondent Bianna Golodryga cited a Facebook "debate group" question asking respondents, "Could a Democratic president keep America safe?" Golodryga continued: "66 percent of you said yes; 27 percent, no." Golodryga did not cite a question asking whether a Republican president could "keep America safe"; indeed, no such question (registration required) was asked on ABC News' Facebook "debate group" page. Golodryga introduced her discussion of the responses to the questions ABC posed on Facebook by asserting, "Now let's go to what surprised us," but did not say why the results of the "keep America safe" question were "surpris[ing]."

As Media Matters for America has documented, other media figures have asserted that Republicans have an advantage on issues of national security and terrorism, despite polls showing Democrats either tied or at a slight advantage against Republicans on that issue. For example, a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted September 27-30, 2007, asking, "Which political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you trust to do a better job handling the U.S. campaign against terrorism?" found that 41 percent of respondents favored the Democrats, while 40 percent chose the Republicans.

Following are the questions ABC posted (registration required) on its Facebook "debate group" page on January 5, the day of the Republican and Democratic debates:

* Did the ABC News/Facebook Debates give you a better sense of whom you will vote for?

* Based on the debate, do you think a Democratic President could keep America safe from foreign threats?

* Which issue do you wish the Democratic candidates spent more time on? (Environment, Economy, War in Iraq, Immigration, or Health Care)

* Which Democratic candidate appeared the most "presidential" during the debate?

* Which of the following surprised you most about the Republican debate? (Huckabee rarely discusses religion; McCain stays restrained during debate; Romney says drug companies aren't the "Bad Guy;" Thompson stays cool, calm, collected; or Giuliani joins attacks on Romney)

* Which issue do you wish the Republican candidates spent more time on? (War in Iraq, Environment, Immigration, Health Care, or Economy)

* Do you feel more informed about the Republican candidates' positions on foreign policy after this debate?

* Which Republican candidate appeared the most "Presidential" during the debate?

* Do you agree with Barack Obama that Hillary Clinton is "likable enough"?

* Is a Presidential candidate's national "electability" a big factor in deciding your vote in the primaries?

* How much confidence do you have about the US economy in 2008?

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