Votescam happens. It happens in elections, and it happens in polls. Manipulation even occurs during TV debates, seriously cheating the watching public.
Okie dokie. Some polls count and others don’t. No one really keeps track of the stats during the pre-season.
A straw poll, though better than an Internet poll, is still much less reliable than a sample from a trusted source (i.e., Rasmussen, Mason-Dixon, etc.)
Are you kidding me??? Have you been called by one of these “trusted sources”? I haven’t and my phone number is listed in the phone book. So...that theory holds no truth. In fact, the Texas Straw Poll showed how true active Republicans feel about Duncan Hunter. Remember, only current state delegates or those who had been a delegate in the previous election were allowed to vote. So...not just any “joe blow” off the street could vote in that straw poll. That right there is something that holds its weight in gold.
I think that these pollsters find the lowest common demographic and call them. These are the people out there who aren’t even thinking about the election. They are saying Fred Thompson because they know him from TV and the news (if they even watch). So honestly, those polls mean NOTHING. How many of your neighbors are thinking about the election already? I have a lot of friends from work etc, and when I talk about the next President, they say “when is the election again?” They can’t believe that even a year out, we are already campaigning.
“... which is why you see almost no press about him.”
You might have that backwards. The “press”, being largely liberal, has no interest in showcasing an actual conservative candidate. They would much rather people continue to believe there isn’t really that much difference between the parties.
To that end, they push Republican candidates that have known weakneses. Mitt the flip-flopper from a gay state who implemented socialist medicine and can’t make a wartime decision without consulting his lawyers. Rudy who favors illegal immigration, abortion, and gun control. McCain who favors illegal immigration. Fred who did lobbying work for abortionists and has a trophy wife. Huckabee who panders to the class warfare crowd and supports open borders.
The last thing the liberal media wants is for Republicans to learn about a candidate like Duncan Hunter who shows that there really are big differences between the parties.