Author Topic: On Political Polls  (Read 1991 times)

Ben

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On Political Polls
« on: July 19, 2020, 07:26:05 PM »
A couple of examples regarding polls and their (lack of) accuracy:

https://twitchy.com/brads-313037/2020/07/19/dude-your-desperation-is-showing-ed-okeefe-raves-about-foxnews-poll-while-describing-it-as-rather-useless/

https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2020/07/16/polling-is-in-fact-garbage-fox-news-anchor-melissa-francis-says-she-lies-to-pollsters-which-concerns-cnns-oliver-darcy/

Both articles ask an important question: Who are these idiots that actually answer their phones when the caller ID is clearly showing a number that is, if not a poll, likely some kind of sales pitch or spam or something?

Secondly, Melissa Francis, while likely in trouble with her bosses since Fox does polls, makes a good point: Why would I answer these questions honestly when they're posed by someone I don't know? As we discuss here a lot, I own no guns and neither do you guys. In this day and age, I could see people afraid to tell a pollster who has their contact info that they will vote for Trump, because they're afraid of being doxxed or something.

I generally won't answer any polls or questionnaires that are not 100% anonymous. Exceptions have been questionnaires sent by my current congressman and a few others. It seems to me that most people do the same. Makes you wonder who's both answering their phones and answering these polling questions. Though if it works out the same as 2016, I'm okay with it.  :laugh:
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HankB

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2020, 11:01:43 PM »
. . . I generally won't answer any polls or questionnaires that are not 100% anonymous. Exceptions have been questionnaires sent by my current congressman and a few others. It seems to me that most people do the same. Makes you wonder who's both answering their phones and answering these polling questions. Though if it works out the same as 2016, I'm okay with it.  :laugh:
What pollsters don't talk about is the growing number of people they contact who REFUSE to participate in their polls.

I'm one of them.

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TechMan

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2020, 09:09:39 AM »
Our land line (yes I'm that old fashioned) came with the NoMoRobo  service, so I activated that and have enjoyed a great reduction of Robo calls.  The service is fairly responsive, like when I realized that we weren't getting our medication ready notification from our Kroger Pharmacy, I just entered the number and gave a reason and the next time the call rang through.
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Jim147

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2020, 09:39:09 AM »
I think I have read that most polls like these have less than a 25% R response.
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Ben

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2020, 09:42:41 AM »
I think I have read that most polls like these have less than a 25% R response.

It makes sense even without cancel culture, as more R's live by the individualistic "you keep out of my business and I'll keep out of yours" than do Ds.
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WLJ

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2020, 10:18:40 AM »
What pollsters don't talk about is the growing number of people they contact who REFUSE to participate in their polls.

I'm one of them.



Like those polls where they say only X% (20% or whatever it was) of Americans own guns  "an all time low".
No, what is at all time low is the number of people willing to answer a poll asking them if they own a gun.
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K Frame

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2020, 10:48:02 AM »
Last poll I took, several years ago, I was an elderly man who had a career as a labor organizer in the steel and auto industries and who was an avowed communist.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2020, 11:19:55 AM »
Like those polls where they say only X% (20% or whatever it was) of Americans own guns  "an all time low".
No, what is at all time low is the number of people willing to answer a poll asking them if they own a gun.

I like those polls too. Of course several years of record and near record gun buying is totally irrelevant. :rofl:
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230RN

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2020, 09:39:29 AM »
Guns?  Why would I want a gun? This isn't the Wild West any more.

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2020, 01:53:11 PM »
Are you a cook, or a RIFLEMAN?  Find out at Appleseed!

http://www.appleseedinfo.org

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WLJ

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2020, 01:56:24 PM »
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

grampster

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2020, 02:39:04 PM »
Usually the sample is only around 20% Republican.
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Parker Dean

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2020, 02:39:30 PM »
Who answers phone calls from unrecognized numbers? That's gotta skew the results right there, let alone the questions.

RoadKingLarry

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Re: On Political Polls
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2020, 05:13:52 PM »
Who answers phone calls from unrecognized numbers? That's gotta skew the results right there, let alone the questions.

While I've been out on disability for the shoulder I sometimes get bored and will answer any call just to see if I can get some laughs out of it. Nothing of merit yet.

As to expressing a political opinion, I have wiped all references to my employer from facebook. I freely share political crap there in large part to see if I can get a rise out of any libtards that might have been foolish enough to send me a friend request.
I have no doubt that there are people out there that wouldn't hesitate to attempt to get me fired for an opinion completely irrelevant and unrelated to my job just to punish me for having an opinion different than theirs.  
At work I'm very circumspect about what and with whom I discuss any kind of political issue to the point that some co-workers that are fairly hard conservative have the opinion that I'm a little to the left politically.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.

Samuel Adams