ALL polls should be taken with a mountain of salt.
There is a reason that professionals ask to see the internals. How was the question asked? What methodology was used to determine margin of error? How and when was the poll conducted?
I’ve always said: “Give me control of the questions and the polling sample and I’ll have 60% of Americans voting for Hitler.”
Precisely. It was the German Conservative Party that put Hitler in office and has given conservatives a bad name since
I have participated in two polls.
The first was by land line during the Iraq War. The Iraqi army had collapsed and joy was in the air.
While answering the questions, I told the young lady she had already asked that question only phrased differently.
She laughed it off, but I was much more attentive.
In all, I was asked about 50 questions.
Reviewing the questions after the call ended, I realised the point of the poll was to downplay the popularity of GWB and show public dissatisfaction with his foreign policy.
The second time was by cell phone in Obama’s third year in office.
Every question was designed to show Obama as popular with the public in some degree.
I refused to take part in a poll just after Obama’s reelection.
I believe each poll is designed to elicit a desired response and the polling agencies give the public no real chance to be honestly heard.
I have since switched to a prepaid cell phone and have not been bothered by pollsters or salespersons.