[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Oh, I know how you feel. It’s easy for us to let emotion and “what we’d like to see happen” override what we know intellectually will happen. I knew that all the polls were showing 0bama winning as well, but thought there was just no way it would really happen. The polls just *had* to be cooked, know what I mean?

Of course, we do need to distinguish between reputable polling houses, and the MSM “polls” put out by CBS/LA Times/NY Times/CNN, etc. and even Fox. THOSE polls genuinely do tend to be cooked, with all sorts of funny demographics slanted consistently toward the Dems. In 2008, Rasmussen and similar houses had 0bama winning by 3-4% (accurate), while MSM polls consistently had him up going into the home stretch by 10-12%.

So there is some room for saying that polls are biased and fake - when they’re MSM polls.

However, many, many FReepers want to assume that ALL polling is fake, biased, etc. so as to prevent unpleasant facts from intruding into their personal self-contained fact-spaces. Even though it has been shown that the professional pollsters are actually pretty on target most of the time.

I learned my lesson after 2008. A lot of FReepers didn’t.

[winoneforthegipper]

I don't know you from Adam, and quite frankly I am beginning to understand why. As far as polling data this far out, it's biased towards those that are actually paying attention. Polls are skewed by the closeness one has to the occurrence. Right now more people are concerned with the economy, sports, weather and home life than to give more than just a single thought to politics. If someone is getting air time more than another i.e. Perry right now, he's likely to get the nod in polls, just because that's what people are hearing. It is that simple and why it is simple minds read into simple polls.

[cuban leaf]

Yeah, I completely ignore the MSM polls (and yes, including fox) except for comic releif. And internet polls, of course.

[SamAdams76]

However, many, many FReepers want to assume that ALL polling is fake, biased, etc. so as to prevent unpleasant facts from intruding into their personal self-contained fact-spaces. Even though it has been shown that the professional pollsters are actually pretty on target most of the time. I learned my lesson after 2008. A lot of FReepers didn’t.

Well why don't you wait to see what happens in the primaries then? If you are so confident that your polling data is correct and nobody will vote for Palin but us Freepers, than Palin will get knocked out of race early on and then you will be proven correct.

[rob777]

"I learned my lesson after 2008. A lot of FReepers didn’t."


My lesson was in 2006 when most of us were all so sure that the polls predicting a Democratic takeover of Congress were all wrong.