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On the ARG Poll
RealClearPolitics HorseRaceBlog ^ | December 26, 2007 | Jay Cost

Posted on 12/26/2007 6:02:45 PM PST by MitchellC

Anybody who checked Drudge today will have seen that there is a "shock poll" that puts Hillary Clinton 15 points in front of Barack Obama in Iowa. The polling company that produced the poll is ARG, and this is what it had to say about its results:

Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama among women 38% to 21%, which is unchanged from a week ago (Clinton 36%, Obama 23% among women). Obama has lost ground among men to John Edwards and Clinton. Among men, Clinton is at 28%, Edwards is at 27%, Obama is at 16%, and Joe Biden is at 11%. A week ago, Obama was at 27% among men, followed by 21% for Clinton and 19% for Edwards.

This poll might indeed be a trend - the first sign of a swing back to Clinton among Iowa Democrats. Unfortunately, we will not be able to know for a few days - as polling companies presumably suspended operations over Christmas. I have a few caveats that I would put in place on this poll - just a few basic warnings about why we should not over-interpret these results.

***

[snip]

3. There are other elements of the poll that just don't scan with me. For instance, it shows Fred Thompson at 3% and Alan Keyes and Duncan Hunter both at 2%. ARG has shown Thompson low over the last few weeks - so this would not be a consequence of ARG's internal sampling method thrown off by the holiday weekend. But its last two samples estimated Thompson's support well below the rest of the Iowa polls. And 3% just does not pass the "smell test."

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


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: arg; fredthompson; ia2008; polls
Read it and Freep.
1 posted on 12/26/2007 6:02:46 PM PST by MitchellC
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To: MitchellC

ARG polls are complete garbage.


2 posted on 12/26/2007 6:04:28 PM PST by HerrBlucher (He's the coolest thing around, gonna shut HRC down, gonna turn it on, wind it up, blow em out, FDT!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; Politicalmom; jellybean; Brices Crossroads; Petronski; John Valentine

Ping!


3 posted on 12/26/2007 6:06:20 PM PST by MitchellC ($52,541 down, $196,305 to go - FILL THE TANK at www.fred08.com)
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To: HerrBlucher
Yup.

And anyone who runs around FR using an ARG poll to smear the one true conservative with a shot at it all ought to be banned, in my humble opinion.

4 posted on 12/26/2007 6:08:02 PM PST by MitchellC ($52,541 down, $196,305 to go - FILL THE TANK at www.fred08.com)
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To: HerrBlucher
ARG polls are complete garbage.

You're right, of course. ARG has historically been about the worst predictor of them all. Shoot, even Zogby is more accurate.

5 posted on 12/26/2007 6:12:34 PM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (I am free to worship God as I see fit, regardless of what the US military does.)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
The Coming Huckabust
6 posted on 12/26/2007 6:25:07 PM PST by MitchellC ($52,541 down, $196,305 to go - FILL THE TANK at www.fred08.com)
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To: HerrBlucher

That’s the worst poll i’ve seen yet...The RCP article points out that not only did Clinton and Obama have statistically significant changes, but so did Huckabee and Paul...The ARG Inc poll shows Paul at 11%, ahead of Thompson and Giuliani...

The methodology of this poll was all wrong- so wrong that ARG would not even reveal the demographics of their sample group..They weighted first time caucus goers ahead of previous caucus goers, and they conducted their poll at the worst time, when people are getting ready for an imminent Holiday and are not focusing on politics...

It’s a bad poll which casts a shadow on some of the other polls with more legitimate methodoligies.

ARG,Inc...American Research Group inc.,....will have to remember that one and add it to the questionable list...


7 posted on 12/26/2007 6:42:00 PM PST by billmor (Groucho-who would you vote for ?...'Harpo'..why?...short speeches.)
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To: jellybean; Politicalmom; girlangler; KoRn; Shortstop7; Lunatic Fringe; Darnright; babygene; ...
Ping!!

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WARNING: If you wish to join, be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.

8 posted on 12/26/2007 6:42:53 PM PST by Politicalmom (Huckabee’s foreign policy experience consists of eating at the International House of Pancakes.)
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To: MitchellC

I would assume the type of people who would sit around answering polling questions on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve instead of spending time with their family would be the type of people who would support McCain, Guiliani or Paul over Huckabee or Thompson.


9 posted on 12/26/2007 7:22:05 PM PST by Texas Federalist (Fred Thompson - The only true conservative in the race)
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To: MitchellC
fred08.com

as of 1924pst

$55,431.00



Does not look like anyone is paying any attention to the ARG poll
10 posted on 12/26/2007 7:26:37 PM PST by Fred (The Demoroid Party is the Nadir of Nilhilism)
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To: billmor

Hmm...are they anticipating vote fraud? I don’t see how first time caucus goers could be expected to be more likely to participate.


11 posted on 12/26/2007 7:42:31 PM PST by scrabblehack
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To: Texas Federalist

Not that I agree with the results of the poll, but it was from 20th-23rd, not 24th & 25th.


12 posted on 12/26/2007 8:02:17 PM PST by rb22982
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To: MitchellC

Did Romney really vote for Tsongas? I believe so.


13 posted on 12/26/2007 8:26:24 PM PST by Pittsburgher (Fred: the elephant in the room)
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To: All

Up to $60,206.


14 posted on 12/26/2007 8:30:27 PM PST by Politicalmom (Huckabee’s foreign policy experience consists of eating at the International House of Pancakes.)
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