On Polls and Polling

[e_dog]

i've had it up to here with stupid polls. freakin CNN polls formed in ways that are sure to be manipulative propaganda, just in virtue of the choices. Who will take the country in the right direction? Bush or Kerry? (excluding of course the option: neither; or the complex intelligent option which: neither, but kerry's 'direction' will be less worse than Herr Bush). or, Where would you like to see Sen. John McCain in the future? choices: in a Bush cabinet; in Kerry cabinet; stayin in the Senate; running for president '08. (how about: in prison, or retired?)

worse than an ignored public opinion is an ignorant public opinion, crafted in its ignorance by the manipulative and manipulated media industry machine.

[Doreen Peri]

hey e- ... i agree.... every time i hear about a poll, i say, "nobody asked ME or my neighbors or my co-workers or my family or my friends".... Who are they asking, that's what I want to know? Are these telephone polls? Smart people don't take telephone solicitation calls. Are the polls done by mail? Do they invite people for a focus group discussion? Who gets invited to participate in these polls? How can they possibly represent a cross section of the american public if nobody anybody i know knows anybody who's ever known anybody who's participated in one?

polls are weak journalism, at best ...more likely propaganda manipulators

(ps - why would you like to see john mccain in prison?.... or did i misread that part?)

[mnaz]

yeah, definitely.

I have yet to be polled in a presidential race, and that's quite a
few by now. Just who are they asking? Plus, these polls are all over the map, differing greatly among themselves. I say screw 'em.
The only poll that counts is the one in November. Let's hope they don't tamper with that one again.

[Zlatko Waterman]

e_dog and mnaz:

The Diebold voting machines may have their own versions of a skewed poll . . . after the November election.

( Say, didn't the sci-fi writers warn us about this, circa 1953?)


--Z

[Doreen Peri]

dear zlatko-

hmmm.... they do?

yes, they did.

-doreen

[e_dog]

other than the crime of being a Republican, -- and, presumably, that of voting to authorize Bush's imperial powers -- i cannot cite any facts that would demand impirisonment of mccain. i was just listing that as one of the options that the poll -- an actual one -- left out, along with retirement and other options that they ignore in their attempt to cosy up withpoliticians so they can get interviews n soundbites. all the options implied that the Senator is a good guy that should hold office. even if you think that's true, it is incredibly biased to have a poll where every option requires affirmation of that implication. 'polite' and 'politics' don't mix, except on CNN.