[No Truce With Kings]

"Companies can't give you what you want, if you don't tell them what it is."

The last thing I want is politicians "giving me what I want." I want a 20-hr workweek, fifty babes throwing themselves on me, and unlimited free cheeseburgers. But what I want is not necessarily healthy (especially if my spouse catches me) or good for my long-term well-being. The Clinton years were marked by poll-driven pols that trimmed their sails to the latest survey of "what the voting public wants."

That's not being a leader. Being a leader is determining what people need -- before they themselves realize it -- then spending your efforts to convince them. "W" done that brilliantly with the death tax, tax relief, and yes, even the war on terrorism.

The one thing that bugged me about the Contract with America was that it was so poll-driven. Not that any single point was bad, but that it was the product of focus groups and polls. Then, when the polls started shifting the Reps did too, ceding the initiative to Omamma bin Laidoften for the next five years.

[AndyTheBear]

good point.

[Strider]

"Companies can't give you what you want, if you don't tell them what it is."

The last thing I want is politicians "giving me what I want."

I agree with you. Leaders being led by polls is a bad idea. Please note that I said companies.

Nearly all of my polling is done for radio stations these days. We play you song clips and you rate them. That's how many radio stations produce their play lists.