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Can the Polls Be Believed?
American Thinker ^ | 09/30/2012 | Jim O’Sullivan

Posted on 10/01/2012 8:35:53 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

A raging war has been underway between Republicans/Romney and the mainstream media (MSM)/polling organizations on the accuracy of many recently reported polls. Both sides have stridently argued their cases in a vicious skirmish that has been decidedly unequal.

The Republicans, the Romney campaign, conservative talk radio, conservative new media and Fox News have valiantly fought the Democrats, the MSM, some polling organizations and the Obama campaign organization. Yet given just the megaphones owned by the MSM and Obama's bully pulpit, the battle has been the equivalent of brandishing a popgun at a howitzer...the voting public seemingly is not hearing the battle's thunder or is still not deeply engaged in the election.

So what are the facts...is there a battle plan, an alliance between Obama, the MSM, and polling organizations designed to destroy Romney's candidacy?

Are the polls presenting biased and inaccurate findings?

Are polling organizations deliberately producing misleading results? In essence are they in cahoots with Obama, the MSM, liberal/progressive democrats? Is there any compelling evidence that the MSM is using polling selectively to promote Barack Obama and other democrat office seekers? And will the constant and continuous bludgeoning of Romney using biased or inaccurate polls damage his presidential chances? The basic argument that the polls are biased begins with the 2008 presidential election outcome. Obama won by capturing an electorate composed of 39% Dems, 32% Reps and 29% Independents; this differential is known as a D+7 spread/party affiliation or D+7 electorate. Barack Obama also defeated John McCain by 7 points in the popular vote. In contrast, G.W. Bush defeated J. Kerry in 2004 with an electorate containing 37% Dems, 37% Reps and 26% Inds. The 2008 election was unique in many respects. Barack Obama was African American, youthful, a skilled speaker, untested, mysterious, cool and the MSM's chosen one.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; polls
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To: Buckeye McFrog

No yard signs or bumper stickers anywhere in my area. Both sides are afraid of retaliation from the other. All it took was one president to divide this Nation that much. Hopefully, the damage can be undone.


21 posted on 10/01/2012 8:54:04 AM PDT by factoryrat (We are the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Why would you say something like that?


22 posted on 10/01/2012 8:54:47 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The American news media, the 'Pravda Press', is fully Soviet-ized.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Sadly, after every election, most polls have shown to have been acurate. However I have noticed from the mainstream media,that when reporting on Mitt Romney and his campaign activity,it has always been negative with frowning faces, while O’bummer can do no evil and they seem excited at whatever he does by reporting in glowing terms. This is how they influence the public and the elections.


23 posted on 10/01/2012 8:55:01 AM PDT by Vinylly
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To: Fresh Wind

A neighbor of mine is one of the most conservative guys ever and he drives a Prius. A lady friend of mine is super conservative and she drives a Subaru. (although I give her grief about it every time I see her)

Just sayin. Usually a Prius is driven by a faggity ass lib with a goatee and pencil pants while a Subaru is driven by a wiry, white haired smelly 60 year old hippie “woman”.


24 posted on 10/01/2012 8:55:02 AM PDT by albie ("Work as if you were to live a hundred years. Pray as if you were to die tomorrow." Benjamin Frankli)
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To: Steely Tom

Why would you write something like that?


25 posted on 10/01/2012 8:55:45 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The American news media, the 'Pravda Press', is fully Soviet-ized.)
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To: SeekAndFind

When you are down in the polls campaign like you believe them.

When you are up in the polls campaign like you don’t believe them.


26 posted on 10/01/2012 8:56:18 AM PDT by Iron Munro (US Embassies Come and Go But An Obama Apology Lasts Forever)
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To: murron

Interesting that you say not exciting and anti anxiety in the same statement.

I think Romney is not exciting but that Ob is very exciting- in the opposite direction. He causes much anxiety.

I think that’s what this election is about- voting against Ob.

That makes Romney, his blandness, liberal-ness and his etch-a-scetch-ness look really good.


27 posted on 10/01/2012 8:56:35 AM PDT by stanne
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To: SeekAndFind
1. Yes -faulty sampling models

2. Yes - They get thier monies directly from the the Big Media feeding frenzy.

3. - See answer 2

4. - See answer 2

5. - The way the RNC/GOP have capitulated on almost every coservative issue it's now wonder the MSM believes we coservatives will give up.


28 posted on 10/01/2012 8:57:34 AM PDT by John 3_19-21 (Time to circle the wagons men)
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To: SeekAndFind

In a column by Michael Barone he said the polling response rate those asked to participate in poll in 1997 was 37%. In 2012 it’s now 9%.


29 posted on 10/01/2012 8:58:09 AM PDT by AU72
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To: SeekAndFind
1. Yes faulty sampling models

2. Yes - They get their monies directly from the the Big Media feeding frenzy.

3. - See answer 2

4. - See answer 2

5. - The way the RNC/GOP have capitulated on almost every conservative issue it's now wonder the MSM believes we conservatives will give up.


30 posted on 10/01/2012 8:58:28 AM PDT by John 3_19-21 (Time to circle the wagons men)
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To: CPO retired

I have no misconceptions that a lot of people are ideologically in the tank for him (as best as they have the limited intelligence to understand what the full impact of their collusion with him is). I do however feel that they are not as “down with the struggle” of the huge, huge fabulousness of his first black Presidentness per se.

In other words, they are tacitly ‘for’ him, but not so exuberantly. Some will take the time and trouble to struggle with the ‘big vote’, and others will say “why bother if there isn’t an extra government check involved?”

Turnout...turnout is the key - and WE have them beat at that, hands down. I’m so incensced and pissed at 4 years of lying and collusion, it would take my sudden death to keep me from voting against him, even if it is Romney....I’ll feel better about him over last time when I had to take it up the keester and vote for Krazy McCain.


31 posted on 10/01/2012 8:59:32 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: SeekAndFind
For several elections I have been reading on Free Republic how flawed the polls are. The reality of the next day was that the polls were right.

We tend to rationalize what is wrong with the sampling methods but always miss the ultimate issue. Weak candidates can't win. We've had our share.

President Reagan won because he had the "Shining city on the hill vision" that the country loved and needed. Frankly, I'm not inspired by arguments about vouchers.

32 posted on 10/01/2012 9:03:05 AM PDT by pfflier
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To: Gaffer

“Krazy McCain”

Indeed! I daydream whenever any of my friends start going on about him and how he was in any way good. I am out of the conversation and I know there’s no way out except to let the subject fizzle out.

He is nuts.


33 posted on 10/01/2012 9:03:41 AM PDT by stanne
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To: SeekAndFind

Current polls are not precise and reflect questionable assumptions and wishful thinking on the part of the mainstream media pollsters, who are in the bag for their Golden Boy, Obama. Polls are weighted averages of people who respond to telephone surveys. People who are at home to respond to telephone surveys are mostly the unemployed and elderly - hardly a representative sample of voters. The only vote that counts is the one on Election Day, so get your a$$ to the polls and VOTE - your Life, Liberty and Property may well depend on it.

Dick Morris explained all this on O’Reilly last week and predicted Obama will lose - BIG!


34 posted on 10/01/2012 9:05:31 AM PDT by bopdowah ("Unlike King Midas, whatever the Gubmint touches sure don't turn to Gold!')
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To: stanne

I think his captors broke him and broke his mind.


35 posted on 10/01/2012 9:06:51 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: SeekAndFind

People do not show up and go door to door and make phone calls for losing campaigns

People do not donate money to losing campaigns

People do not bother going out and voting if they think the result is a foregone conclusion

Yes, polls DO hurt a candidate chances.


36 posted on 10/01/2012 9:07:17 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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To: tbpiper

I think for a lot of reasons people are not being very vocal about their preference. I think a lot of Obama supporters are actually embarrassed to come right out and say it as he’s done such a poor job. But they likely will vote for him again.

Likewise a lot of Romney voters aren’t coming right out and saying it for various reasons (they are in a union, hold a government job, are black/hispanic, work or socialize with too many Liberals, etc.)

Also fear of OWS-style wackos keying your car or putting you on a list for Second Term Retribution of some sort.


37 posted on 10/01/2012 9:10:41 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: bopdowah
A few points to ponder:

1. It is easier to find a snipe, of a Schmoo, than tgo find a person who voted for McCain in 2008, and will now vote for Obama.
2. Enthusiam among blacks, and the young is down considerably...they will not give Obama the margins he got in 2008.
3. Most importantly, there was NO TEA PARTY IN 2008. The TP showed their strength in 2009 and 2010, though the Dems and the MSM did their best to discredit the movement.

38 posted on 10/01/2012 9:11:02 AM PDT by ken5050 (Laura Ingraham:"If the GOP can't beat Obama in this economy; shut down the party!")
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To: SeekAndFind

The polls have been skewed and lying for my entire voting lifetime.

Carter was 8 points ahead of Reagan...
Dukakis was 17 points ahead of Bush...
Gore was 18 points ahead of Bush II...
Kerry was also 18 points ahead of Bush II...

NOW THIS FRAUD!

I can’t wait for the Obama Riots.


39 posted on 10/01/2012 9:11:12 AM PDT by Bon mots (Abu Ghraib: 47 Times on the front page of the NY Times | Benghazi: 2 Times)
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To: bopdowah
A few points to ponder:

1. It is easier to find a snipe, or a Schmoo, than to find a person who voted for McCain in 2008, and will now vote for Obama.
2. Enthusiam among blacks, and the young is down considerably...they will not give Obama the margins he got in 2008.
3. Most importantly, there was NO TEA PARTY IN 2008. The TP showed their strength in 2009 and 2010, though the Dems and the MSM did their best to discredit the movement.

40 posted on 10/01/2012 9:11:17 AM PDT by ken5050 (Laura Ingraham:"If the GOP can't beat Obama in this economy; shut down the party!")
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