Free Republic

Throughout the GOP primaries, online and automated surveys—which are generally less respected within the industry—indicated higher levels of Trump support than live ones. The discrepancy may have been a large reason why his Republican elite opponents refused to take the former reality star’s campaign seriously before it was too late. A similar dynamic appears to be taking shape in the general election. Instead of taking false comfort, Democratic elites are sounding the alarm about the Shy Trump Supporter Effect. Liberal pollster Celinda Lake is warning of a “secret Trump vote” which she discerned from differences between automated and live surveys...

Advisors to Hillary Clinton are worried that Democratic white men are lying to pollsters and secretly plan to vote for Republican Donald Trump. "I worry that there is a bit of a secret Trump vote," said influential pollster Celinda Lake. She has proof revealed in polls that find more white male support when live people are doing the interviewing and less support for Clinton in anonymous online surveys. "The pattern is in the online surveys, even if you control for demographics, Trump does three to nine points better than in telephone surveys. So it really does suggest that there is...