Making call on sham of political polling

Newsday ^ | 9/16/04 | jimmy breslin

[Cosmo]

Jimmy Breslin Making call on sham of political polling

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September 16, 2004

Anybody who believes these national political polls are giving you facts is a gullible fool.

Any editors of newspapers or television news shows who use poll results as a story are beyond gullible. On behalf of the public they profess to serve, they are indolent salesmen of falsehoods.

This is because these political polls are done by telephone. Land-line telephones, as your house phone is called.

The telephone polls do not include cellular phones. There are almost 169 million cell phones being used in America today - 168,900,019 as of Sept. 15, according to the cell phone institute in Washington.

There is no way to poll cell phone users, so it isn't done.

Not one cell phone user has received a call on their cell phone asking them how they plan to vote as of today.

Out of 168 million, anything can happen. Midway through election night, these stern-faced network announcers suddenly will be frozen white and they have to give a result:

"It appears that the winner of the election tonight is ... Milford J. Schmitt of New Albany, Ind. He presently has 56 percent of the vote, placing him well ahead of John Kerry, George Bush and another newcomer, Gibson D. Mills of Corvallis, Ore. It appears the nation's voting habits have been changed unbeknownst to us. Mr. Schmitt was asked what party he is in. He answered, 'The winning party.'"

[Cosmo]

It's an interesting theory that I've heard alot ofpeople advnce. Given that many of my friends are exclusively cell phone users, I'm inclined to think there is a valid point being made..in spite of who makes it in this article :)

[Cosmo]

please excuse the gobbledy gook that found its way into the top of the post. thought I'd erased everything extraneous.

[Bigh4u2]

Considering that polling is done over a large demographic of people across the U.S.,

What does cell phone polling add it?

Not everyone has or uses cell phones exclusively!

I have a cellphone, but I also have a 'land line' phone as well.

Cellphones as 'primary' commnunication is in a minority!

[blogblogginaway]

All the sudden polls are garbage. Waaa waaa waaa. I assume Jimmy Breslin came to that conclusion after the Galluo poll was released.

And this statement......."Common sense would say that the majority of the 18 to 25 who do vote would vote for the Democrat".........LOL...these old geezers need to get with it!

[Cosmo]

I tend to agree, but I also know that alot of people use home phones for emergencies and voicemail, but talk on their cell phones almost exclusively. I'm one of those. I rarely answer the home phone because no one I want to talk to would call me on anything but my cell. I'll probably ditch my landline in january. It's cheaper to own a cell phone these days -- provided you have the right plan. Alot of my friends have realized this and have ditched landlines altogether

[SaintDismas]

I've heard this too. Has any of the "old way" pollsters addressed this?

I have to concur with it to some point since our house only has one land line----but in the basement for the kids (teens). The only other ones to call are telemarketers, although those have somehow drastically declined even though we're not on the no-call list either state or national.

One thing though, if most of the folks "who live on cell phones" are the younger set, then I have to say that these polls are valid, simply because they don't vote for the most part, and I sure don't see that changing very much if at all.

tl

[sinkspur]

Yep. Now that the polls are going against Kerry, big time, Breslin's squealing.

Al Hunt actually wrote an article in which he contends that it's not the likely voters (the people who are actually going to vote) who ought to get the attention, but the registered voters (many of whom don't vote).

They're delusional.

[NavyCanDo]

I've had a couple of poll phone calls that turned into campaign ads. Sounded sort of real at first, but:

Started like this:

In the November General Election you are more likely to vote for

Bush Press 1
Kerry Press 2

I Press 1, and it started a tape playing typycal DNC propoganda of why a vote for Bush is bad for the country.

[Paleo Conservative]

Most of the media polls are not conducted for the purpose of determining public opinion but to steer public opinion.

[Cosmo]

you don't have to tell me!:)