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Don’t Believe the Polls!
American Thinker ^ | 14 Oct, 2026 | Robin M. Itzler

Posted on 10/14/2026 6:52:51 AM PDT by MtnClimber

Don’t believe the polls! Many are designed to make Republicans feel there is no reason to vote.

Anyone can conduct a poll solely to obtain specific results and have it picked up by supposedly reliable sources. In the summer, a previously unknown organization called Median Strategies put out bogus poll results that were picked up and promoted in our frenzied 24/7 news cycles. In an admission to the Los Angeles Times, the organization admitted that its poll “was created as a short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification.”

That was a doublespeak way of saying, “we lied.”

We hear the word “poll” and assume they are all conducted in a similar manner. However, some are “push polls,” specifically designed to lead people toward a desired result. Even supposedly reputable polling companies often have some push poll objectives. FormPlus explains how push polls work:

Leading Questions: Instead of phrasing questions neutrally like “Do you support Candidate A?”, a push poll would ask, “Would you support Candidate A if you knew they increased tuition fee by 250%, making tertiary education unaffordable?”

False or Misleading Claims: Some push polls not only steer opinions but also include outright lies (e.g., “Did you know Candidate B embezzled funds while serving as governor?”)—even if there is no evidence that suggests the candidate did it.

Emotional Manipulation: Some push polls also frame their questions to provoke fear or outrage (e.g., “How concerned are you that building a factory will contaminate the rural water supply?”

Poor Sampling: Because these “polls” are not research-driven, they often contact large numbers of people rapidly, disregarding proper sampling methods to maximize the spread of their misleading message.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: leftism
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To: MtnClimber

Unskew the polls!! :-)


21 posted on 10/14/2026 8:41:17 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: HamiltonJay

I see GA is an easy 10-point win for Ossoff. Do you agree?


22 posted on 10/14/2026 8:42:25 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: MplsSteve

I get multiple calls and text messages EVERYDAY on my cell.

I am also on the local Republican committee. Plus I am in NH where there is a very contested US Senate race.

The fact that I am on a Republican town committee means my email address and cell number have been sold to EVERY GOP Campaign. Hence, the constant messages and calls.

I do not reply to any. I do not pick up a call from ANY number I do not recognize.


23 posted on 10/14/2026 8:53:36 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: PeterPrinciple

No, it depresses voting. The Fearpublicans are wrong.


24 posted on 10/14/2026 10:43:49 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn )
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To: Mr. K

In addition, cooked up favorable polls keep cash flowing to campaigns. This generates income for campaign managers, ad agencies, and consultants. In my experience, with exceptions, GOP polling and campaigns tend to be disciplined and watchful against such abuses while Democrats indulge them.


25 posted on 10/14/2026 12:12:25 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: Rockingham

Polls are antithetical to a representative republic. A just representative republic is hands-off public opinion respecting the fact that elections put in place candidates chosen by The People, not selected by populism.

Even if ‘your guy’ isn’t going to win, So What? You’re registering your vote, not sports betting.


26 posted on 10/14/2026 12:29:41 PM PDT by Justa (Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people....)
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To: MtnClimber

I may believe the polls when the pollsters call me or my close friends.


27 posted on 10/14/2026 12:49:52 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (Work is best form of worship to God.al )
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To: Justa

The good political opinion polls are expensive and rarely made public. They are used to guide campaign strategy and resource allocation.


28 posted on 10/14/2026 4:10:55 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: bigbob

Or the RCP Polling Average nonsense.


29 posted on 10/14/2026 4:16:32 PM PDT by Fledermaus (Free Republic is going to be intolerable during the Republican Presidential primary in 2028.)
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