Please DU this AOL poll

[Th1onein]

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/elections/article.adp?id=20040126104509990002

[nborders]

1. I still can't believe he has ANY support let alone lead the poll!

I honestly know only one person who would vote for W.

~n

[arcane1]

3. it's all about the PR

Bush doesn't even need a $200 million war chest, the media does campaign commercials for him 24/7 for FREE!

and since we can now thank our congresspersons for lifting the media monopoly ban, it's only going to get WORSE

[Endangered Specie]

2. looks freeped to me

[raysr]

4. 57-43 Bush when I voted

[Speed8098]

5. I'll say this once

We are not freepers.

I'm sick of these, DU this poll, or , DU that poll, threads.

We are not freepers and I, for one, will NOT lower myself to their mentality.

Tell me, what exactly is the benefit of voting over and over to skew the results of a non scientific poll?
Really, what's the benefit??

Leave these childish games to the idiots over on the "other" board. We at DU have more class than that.

[Joe the Revelator]

6. You have to counteract it some how...

if you don't fight back, and instead allow these polls to become tools of the right, then these forms of media are going to continue to skew to who they precieve to be they're core viewers.

[LeahMira]

7. Since you asked...

Tell me, what exactly is the benefit of voting over and over to skew the results of a non scientific poll?

Well, a whole lot of people who use the internet claim that one of their daily internet activities is reading the news. They also say that they appreciate internet news because it offers more in-depth discussions and evaluations of issues than radio, TV, and newspapers. But, when people do go on the internet for news, research shows that they don't go to DU or alternet or buzzflash. A lot of folks don't even know about those sites. Where they do go is to the websites of the major media corporations, where what they actually get is more information about what they already know from radio, TV, and newspapers. IOW, they get more talking points to reinforce what they've already been told, and not any counter-arguments. The end result is that they are about as uninformed about the diversity of opinion out there as they were before they went online. (Check out www.pewinternet.org research for specifics on this)

AOL is one of the major ISPs in the nation. It's a "gateway" onto the internet for a lot of people. Like any other "main page," AOL lists "top news stories" and links to polls like this one. People love to take polls. So, when a really more representative sample of the population goes on over to AOL to vote in their polls, the results are more representative of the general population, and not just representative of the conservative segment that the media would have us think is a majority. Rather than letting a budding liberal feel discouraged by thinking that s/he must be wrong or there's no hope in America, that budding liberal comes to realize that there's a critical mass of people out there who feel a lot like s/he does, and possibly that budding liberal takes courage.

You're right in thinking that it's probably a small thing, but I think that it's pretty painless and easy to do, and I also think that if even one person starts to see things in a different light it's an effort that's worthwhile.

Also, for some of us who don't have the time and resources to commit to the Democratic campaign in the way that we wish we could, it is a way that we can make a small contribution. I hope the Democrats feel that they need all of us not only to vote but also to help out in the small ways that we can.

[SoCalDem]

9. A better way to approach the issue is this

Send e-mails and or letters to whomever is running the poll and tell them about the skewing of the polls..

This has worked many times.. The freeps are very vocal about how they do it, and even give inline instructions on how to do it..

If the people running the poll know that the results are bad, the will often "restart" it or even print articles about the deviant and desperate behavior..

Here's a link I often send to them..

http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/News/freeperlies.htm

[Th1onein]

11. I think it is useful to DU a poll

In fact, I think it changes things, maybe in a small way, but it's important. When people see that other people are voting one way, they tend to vote that way, as well. If you don't like to vote on a poll, that's fine, but you don't have to rant about it.

It DOES do some good.

[ComerPerro]

8. Fuck that

I don't FReep polls.

Besides, it wants a rightwing turnout.

Look:

America has known just one leader since 9/11 -- George Bush. And a poll shows even Democrats give him high marks for the war on terror. So, as voters choose which Democrat will face Bush in the fall, the question is: Can any of them beat him on national security?

No, actually, America has known no leaders since January of 2001. What kind of leader starts a war and then lowers taxes every year and takes a two monthlong vacations during the war?

Fuck Bush.

"Can any of them beat him on national security?"
YES!!

The only reason Bush even looks credible as someone interested in national security is because he presided over the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil. Then he responded by limiting our rights. Yet, somehow, we are supposed to think he is protecting us?

[ithacan]

10. who's better to ensure US security...

Anyone who answers Bush is totally clueless.

This guy has done more to harm US and world security in the past few years than any terrorist ever could have hoped to do.

[Betty]

12. AOL is overrun with freepers

which is one of the reasons I left AOL years ago. The chat boards were impossible to hold intelligent discussions on. that and AOL just sucks in general.

[Th1onein]

13. AOL is a good place to start

BECAUSE of the freepers. But, you wouldn't believe how many Dems there are on AOL now. Very radical Dems, too. Just take a look at the message boards there.

Some of us have to go into the dark places, you know.....heh.

[0rganism]

14. Fuck internet polls. Fuck 'em.

If anyone bothers to refer to an internet poll (on AOL no less) favoring bush election, send them to this article:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040124/nysa010a_1.html
Newsweek ran a scientific poll with a 3% margin of error saying 52% of American adults don't want bush elected, compared to 44% who do.

Battles to skew internet polls are like dick-measuring contests between prepubescent females: doubly-irrelevant fantasies.