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I studied statistics and worked for both Gallop and Yankelovitch and have been in telmarketing. The sample description is based on the pollsters analysis and projections. They tell the callers the demographics they want. There are huge rooms that work contacts and I do not think 7,000 contacts per night would be any big deal. Depends on the quality of the list for the job, and there are many special lists. By now, they probably have millions of people they know will answer questions.

Obviously, pollsters only stay in business if they show a track record of accuracy. They are probably finding ways to compensate for technology issues you bring up and keeping them secret. Of course, there is a huge difference in professional polls for the campaigns and those designed to create news.

But is really all rests on the analysis that weights issues and factors to draw up the sample. That's why they credit Rove with finding the exurban vote in 04 and say the exit polls in 2000 in FL were wrong because of new movers they didn't characterize correctly. That could easily be a factor in OH were people have been leaving in drove. Who's left?