And we takes polls seriously..... why?

[Balog]

I live in Washington state, I still have my old Arizona cell phone number, and I just got a call about the local Republican primary for...... Ohio. Weird.

Just more of an indication that polling "data" (there's an oxymoron for ya) is less about the media reporting reality, and more about trying to shape reality.

[Perd Hapley]

Polls are also media score cards.  It's hilarious the way they tell us that only 2% of Americans support x, after these same media organizations have been vilifying x for months, years, or even decades.  I think half the time they commission polls just for the ego boost.

[Northwoods]

Given that the polls generally overstate Dem. support by 3-5% I still see the polls as useful, once a correction factor is applied, or if one merely looks at the trends to see the direction things are going rather than taking the results at face value as indicitive of anything.

[MicroBalrog]

Polls usually estimate only a general trend. If they show something has 10% supporters, it may have 5% or 15% or even 20%, but never 90%.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

We take polls seriously?

[Azrael256]

I've recommended the Econ Talk podcast before, and I really mean it when I say that you guys have got to start listening to it.  The host is a democrat for social reasons (he mentioned it briefly in one episode), but he is thoroughly rational economically.  Politics are not a part of his commentary, only solid, dispassionate economics.

Anyway, he interviewed one of the higher-ups in one of the large polling organizations.  This fellow tore apart a whole bunch of misconceptions about polling.  There is no such thing as a "statistical dead heat," real scientific polls are almost never presented in the media, and these opinion polls we hear of in election years are commissioned by politicos trying to figure out how to position candidates.  They were never intended to be used for manipulation of media consumers.  That's entirely the work of news organizations.

[wmenorr67]

Now if you start talking of poles that could be another thing.

[bedlamite]

You should have started this topic as a poll.

[Racehorse]

I trust polls when I have access to all the methodology and data behind them. Then I can validate the results myself and see if the questions or the sample were biased in some way. But just a percentage spouted on the evening news is pretty worthless, in my opinion.

[Tallpine]

You should have started this topic as a poll.

You should have put "None of the Above" as an option 


I won't answer telephone polls (NPI ) because the questions are probably worded in such a way to elicit a specific answer.  Such as: Do you favor a) stricter gun control laws b) keeping the current gun control laws ?

No option for REPEAL THEM ALL !!!   

[seeker_two]

We take polls seriously?

....only if dancing is involved...... 

[Balog]

We take polls seriously?

We, as in American in general, yeah. Especially the politi-critters. We (as in many people on this board) know what a crock most polls are, but just because you know it's stupid doesn't mean people with power don't pay attention......

[ilbob]

McCain is 5 points ahead, yes ahead, of BHO in the Zogby poll. Zogby still has BHO way ahead in the electoral college though.

I am not sure polls mean anything at all.

[thebaldguy]

I always answer political polls. Most give the option of either a Democrat or a Republican. I always say "None of the above". When I asked how my opinion would be tabulated, she said that I would be listed as "undecided".

I then said that I'm not undecided; she stated that "none of the above" was not a valid answer to the poll question.