Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Does anyone feel the polls are underestimating Dems this year?

pan6467 · 10-18-2004, 08:47 PM

I think polls are used for 2 reasons presently or rather to cause 2 effects. And I think they are very effective in their purposes.

1) To make skew polls in a certain way so that the bias majority will have the general populace questioning why they disagree with the majority and to ease some follower types into wanting to be part of the majority (hence the skewed bias to make the poll and the winner look attractive). Noone likes to feel they are stupid or that they are different and the way polls are they prey on the weak to change their opinions. (This is the whole purpose of polls anyway). Very apparent by the way theymake sure third parties are always polled very very weak and under the +/-.

2) There is also my belief that if the first doesn't affect as many as they hope, that by showing polls that show the candidate or issue a decisive winner that this phase will finish off the opposition. What this phase does is says this, "the majority already feel this way, so your voice and vote won't matter." This is effective by keeping those who may be not so passionate, sick, or fair weather (has to be decent weather to vote) voters away from the polling booths.

I think polls are used to drive the economy to some degree. If people see polls saying people are holding money more closely and plan to buy less, the people get worried and buy less. If polls show the economy to be good, people spend more. This was very effective during Clinton, Reagan and Carter (to some degree). Polls may take the pulse of the populace but they use the pulse to show and hopefully produce the results that the person funding the polls wishes to get.

Anyone on here can run a poll and get the desired effect they want then I suspect get enough people to believe that poll truly is representative of how a majority on here feels. Whether it is truly how they feel or not. This is nothing new, polls and control tricks to get the majority to agree like this are as old as history itself. They don't always work, but they are always effective. Hence, advertising gimmicks, such as 4 out of 5 dentists that chew gum....

I think unless something major happens this election is very much a toss up, I also have a feeling states Bush had planned on winning he'll lose (or at the very least be far closer than expected) and I think Kerry will have the same surprises.

At one time I thought the polls were skewed to make the election look closer than it truly was to keep interest in the election and to keep it from being over in July. However, the past few months things have turned around and the debates and the fact Bush seems to have lost his momentum makes it closer than it was again polls worked to keep the interest going). However those now that worked to keep the interest there now have to get the polls and majority back into Bush's corner (hence the large leads Bush is being seen with).

10-18-2004, 08:47 PM	#22 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	I think polls are used for 2 reasons presently or rather to cause 2 effects. And I think they are very effective in their purposes. 1) To make skew polls in a certain way so that the bias majority will have the general populace questioning why they disagree with the majority and to ease some follower types into wanting to be part of the majority (hence the skewed bias to make the poll and the winner look attractive). Noone likes to feel they are stupid or that they are different and the way polls are they prey on the weak to change their opinions. (This is the whole purpose of polls anyway). Very apparent by the way theymake sure third parties are always polled very very weak and under the +/-. 2) There is also my belief that if the first doesn't affect as many as they hope, that by showing polls that show the candidate or issue a decisive winner that this phase will finish off the opposition. What this phase does is says this, "the majority already feel this way, so your voice and vote won't matter." This is effective by keeping those who may be not so passionate, sick, or fair weather (has to be decent weather to vote) voters away from the polling booths. I think polls are used to drive the economy to some degree. If people see polls saying people are holding money more closely and plan to buy less, the people get worried and buy less. If polls show the economy to be good, people spend more. This was very effective during Clinton, Reagan and Carter (to some degree). Polls may take the pulse of the populace but they use the pulse to show and hopefully produce the results that the person funding the polls wishes to get. Anyone on here can run a poll and get the desired effect they want then I suspect get enough people to believe that poll truly is representative of how a majority on here feels. Whether it is truly how they feel or not. This is nothing new, polls and control tricks to get the majority to agree like this are as old as history itself. They don't always work, but they are always effective. Hence, advertising gimmicks, such as 4 out of 5 dentists that chew gum.... I think unless something major happens this election is very much a toss up, I also have a feeling states Bush had planned on winning he'll lose (or at the very least be far closer than expected) and I think Kerry will have the same surprises. At one time I thought the polls were skewed to make the election look closer than it truly was to keep interest in the election and to keep it from being over in July. However, the past few months things have turned around and the debates and the fact Bush seems to have lost his momentum makes it closer than it was again polls worked to keep the interest going). However those now that worked to keep the interest there now have to get the polls and majority back into Bush's corner (hence the large leads Bush is being seen with). __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"