do polls really matter when it comes to who will win the next election?

1. 61

   nightwork4posted 13 years ago

   do polls really matter when it comes to who will win the next election?
   
   do you think many people are influenced by what the polls taken before elections show?

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2. 60

   buffalo49posted 13 years ago

   The closer you look at U.S. politics the more you realize that polls, and even party candidates are just an illusion to make people believe they have some kind of say in how the country will be run. Right now the giant wall street banks "own" the governmnent. They back all the major candidates and write the laws for the government to pass.
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlDm8cg9 … re=related

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3. 59

   lostdogrwdposted 13 years ago

   poll are to manipulate the people only.there hundreds of poll paid by the people who running or who backing them to get  the people to vote or not to vote and hardly none of them are true. its a tool to use and the people haven't figure it out. the same people will run a poll in there area to get the people out while running a poll in there challenger area saying they have the lead to get there people not to come out.

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   Wayne Brownposted 13 years ago

   Polls taken by highly qualified sources seem to have some relevance in the election process. The question arises are they more of a predictor or more of a factor that creates bandwagon appeal...hard to say.  Pollsters claim that they maintaina statistical accuracy within the 3-5% range in terms of the results and accuracy.  While that becomes a function of sample size, I would argue that people who are sampled may not always be reliable, actually vote, or not change their mind.  So, at best, a poll is simply a picture of an instance in time and may actually be inaccurate by the time the results are reported.  I think we  can best say that a poll may be indicative of a trend or direction. WB

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   arbposted 13 years ago

   Only if the winner is declared from the polls. Americans have a way of disrupting the apple cart. It's our way of proclaiming our independence from the analyst and pundits who like to tell us what we think before we tell them what we think. I suppose it matters to the winner of the poll. It gives them the necessary fodder for a five o'clock sound bite.

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6. 60

   poorconservative1posted 13 years ago

   Yes I do believe that people are influenced by the polls, unfortunately I think that may be part of the problem. I have to agree with both Wayne Brown and arb on this one because they make very good points. But I have to respectfully disagree with buffalo49 because with recent bail outs isn't it the other way around.

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   john@patatusfoam.posted 13 years ago

   I do think polls matter to some degree.  They help give a temperature of the current situation which at least for me is helpful in understanding the direction of the people as the election approaches.

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   echolishesposted 13 years ago

   i mean i guess. if your like making a big deal out of it.

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9. 60

   angel115707posted 13 years ago

   Yes, there is a group of citizen journalists, they call themselves who are obviously very well paid or capable, they travel the world, and report daily... and have predicted the elections before they take place, including ours based on polls and polls usually coincide with how much internet spending takes place. for example, Obama by-passed just local media and spent millions, if not billions...way above and beyond that of Republicans in the elections for internet campaigns, and pro-obama impersonators, to make comments and leach off of social sites spreading the word, with the polls and money spent, the election is very well laid out and known before hand most of the time...

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