Friday, October 26, 2012

What Real Pollsters Do


On Polls - Good Bad and Ugly From A Campaign Warrior
 Part 1, What Real Pollsters Do



Res Ipsa Loquitor

First, let me lay out the difference between pollsters who want the truth and those who want to drive news cycles for media clients. Most of the best Democrat and GOP pollsters are people you have scantly heard about because their clients are not news outlets, but are instead campaigns, party committees and outside groups who need to target their spending and messaging.

For example, a veteran GOP pollster told me once that he never polls the South or certain Midwestern states on Wednesday. The reason is because prayer groups and or Wednesday congregation will automatically cause an under sampling of his client’s core supporters.

None of these firms do media polls. Rarely will they release their results publicly unless it is to counter a series of poorly done media polls at the client’s request. They are paid to be accurate and to tell the truth. Being on MSNBC or Fox is not how they make their living. It is no coincidence that most of these guys, Democrat or Republican generally come back with almost identical numbers when they go in the field at the same time. Why do you think the two POTUS campaigns schedule their stops in the same state? Both campaigns have roughly the same numbers on a nightly basis. Lying to your client could cost said pollster work down the road, especially if the sunshine pumping causes decisions that lead to a loss. An old pollster friend has told me many times in races – they (the Dems) see the same thing we do.

Over the years a number of today's media rock stars cut their teeth on Free Republic.  Ann Coulter and News Busters' Mark Finkelstein come immediately to mind. This chap, "GOPFlack" may join them,  based on this work.  Of course it's possible that this is Karl Rove, working sub rosa, but no matter.  



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