Have you or any of your friends or relatives ever been Polled?

[goclark]

I'm a Senior female African American.

I've never been polled and have 2 land line phone numbers in the house.

I have never met anyone that told me they participated in a political poll.

What about you?

[gateley]

1. No. Not me, not friends/family that I'm aware of.

Knowing my friends and family, I doubt they'd agree to participate. :7

[my2sense]

2. Me either

I also don't know of anyone else that has ever been polled. I always make a point of expressing this whenever I hear poll numbers and others are around.

[LibinMo]

3. A couple of times

But it was a state political poll. I can't remember ever
getting a telephone call regarding a national election.

We do get mail from the Republican party all the time requesting
our POV on national issues. They always ask for a donation.

I sent them back and requested to be removed from their mailing
list several times. Didn't do any good. So now I fill them out and
send them back in. I bet they don't count my answers.

[goclark]

7. Let's start asking our friends so that we can be updated

Are there any polls that do cell phones?

[azmouse]

4. Only on-line Zogby polls.

Never a phone poll and I have a land line.

[goclark]

8. I do remember participating in the on line Zogby for about 2 months

Forgot about that ~ is that Nationally reported like Gallup?

[ladywnch]

5. we get called constantly! one night we got 3 calls! it is very annoying.

[goclark]

28. Do you live in a heavily Democratic neighborhood or what ?

Seniors, high income level?

[ladywnch]

83. we're in a swing state, in a young upper middle class neighborhood surrounding

senior housing

[goodgd_yall]

6. No

I'm a middle-aged LGBT woman. None of my friends and family either, as far as I knoow. I actually had been without a landline between 2003 and early 2007, but never ever have I been polled.

[dkf]

9. I've done several.

But from organizations I've never heard of...never Gallup or Zogby or anything else I recognize.

[goclark]

11. Thanks ~ please keep this K'd so we'll have more information

Here we are, active and passionate voters and we have not had more than minimal involvement in the "Polling" process.

Hum, very interesting.

[AndyTiedye]

10. Never Been Called for a Phone Poll

I think they know they wouldn't get the kind of answers they are looking for.

[goclark]

12. Don't they say the calls are "random?"

[BlooInBloo]

13. They only have to poll *1* black person, since they all think the same....

:P

[goclark]

15. Maybe that's why they didn't poll me

: )

[OnionPatch]

14. Only online Zogby polls.

The only phone calls I ever get are asking for money, not my opinion.

[scarletwoman]

16. Never a national poll, but a couple state polls -- I think.

The reason I had to add "I think" is that the times I've been called, the persons asking the questions said they were not allowed to say who had hired them to do the poll. But the questions seemed focused more on local issues than national ones.

I do have a landline, but it's in my son's name, not mine (long story).

sw

[book_worm]

17. yes, a couple of times. One was Survey USA and the other was The Badger Poll (Wi poll)

[sniffa]

18. I was just before Super Tuesday

They called my work, and I just happened to be the one to answer the phone. I think it was WBZ sponsored and it focused on the election and gay marriage.

I gave the Repub candidates very poor marks.

[sandnsea]

19. Yes a few times

Some have been push polls, but I've gotten a couple of real polls the last few years. I think we're in a desirable zip code because it's mostly wealthy retired senior citizens. Oddly enough, we haven't gotten polled this year and the town has gone Obama Crazy!

[IndyOp]

20. I was called a few weeks before the Indiana primary...

I don't know the polling organization. They had 2 questions:

For whom do you plan to vote, Clinton or Obama?
How confident are you that you will go vote?

Obama, 100%

:hi:

[FrenchieCat]

21. I have never been polled. I have 2 land lines, and a cell phone.

In fact, not one member of my family (we have total of 4 cell phones), and we are not signed up on those "do not call lists", have ever been polled.

[goclark]

27. Thanks Frenchie Cat ~ I wonder if Freeper Land had the same

post, would they have as many " Not ever been polled" as we have ~

Don't think so!

[yellowdogintexas]

22. I have been polled both on line and by phone a coupld of times. I don't recall

if I was actually polled on the presidential outcome for 2008, but I have been called for others.

and I get the interactive Zogby polls

[Vinca]

23. I was polled during the primaries. That's how I found out why

Kucinich polled so low. He wasn't included in the poll. That's how accurate polls are.

[goclark]

26. Thanks ~ didn't even include Dennis?

That really makes me angry :mad:
Thanks

[treestar]

24. Nope

And that is what gives me a hard time believing these polls are based on anything accurate.

I would never answer the land line, either. And any voice that sounds like I don't know them - I hang up or say send it in writing.

It is possible the polls only represent those who have time to answer surveys - I never do and would think many are the same.

They overpoll older people who think that politeness reqiures that one always answer the phone.

[goclark]

25. Thanks ~ I wonder if the #'s would change if we really answered

and told them what we really think.

Who is there to make sure they record all the responses?

Do they have a "Watch Committee" with equal numbers from each Political Party?


~ NOT ~

[treestar]

65. Nope, they are going by 1940s and 1950s assumptions

That the head of the house will answer the phone and be willing to take the time for the conversation.

[BklynChick]

29. not me, not anyone in my family, no friends etc. I sometimes wonder who the hell they're polling!

[goclark]

51. My point exactly,, the polls always seem to be so close

I just can't believe there are that many insane people in America.

[DangerousRhythm]

30. I haven't.

Weird, I tells ya.

[Willo]

31. I've never been polled

nor my family on land lines or cells.

I'm going to ask people at work tomorrow.

I did a similar poll about a week ago. It got about 15 responses, of those two said they were polled. One person was from Alaska and said their area were bombarded with telephone polls. I found that interesting.

[Occam Bandage]

32. I have, twice.

[sufrommich]

33. I was polled during Carter's second run

by one of the big polling orgs(don't remember which one). They asked a lot of questions and I was on the phone for quite a while.I remember that you had to answer a question exactly as asked,pick an answer that most applies to your opinion,if you disagreed with the options presented to you, you had to choose "none of the above". That was the first and only time I've been polled for a presidential election.

[goclark]

34. Thanks ~ at least you were polled

Do you know of any friends or relatives that have been polled?

[sufrommich]

36. No one's ever mention it that I can remember...

literally,my whole family is made up of Democrats,aunts,uncles,cousins,brothers,sisters,Mom,Dad( both sets of grandparents were).I'll ask at our next get together.I have 28 first cousins,if I'm the only one that's ever been polled,it would seem pretty fishy to me.

[DFLforever]

35. I"ve never been polled either nat'l or state

But one of my friends was called for a state poll back in 2004.

And my ex-husband was called for a presidential poll in 2004.

[goclark]

47. Is it possible for a private citizen to observe the tabulation

of the answers.

Sounds like Diebold to me ~

Isn't the Gallup family related to the Bush Family?

[AspenRose]

37. Twice!

[goclark]

48. Sounds great ~ do you think the Polls are fair and honest in reporting

based on your experience?

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

38. Yes

I was polled by Zogby about two weeks ago. This was the one with the odd results of McDoofus being 5 points ahead. They asked all the typical questions. I was also polled about a month ago and was asked what it would take for me to vote for Mc*** I replied that I would have to be dead. That got a rise out of the pollster. I live in Sarasota FL so that may be why I get polled a lot.

[ContinentalOp]

39. I've been push polled by the Governator.

I answered a couple of questions before I realized it was an Ahnold thing and hung up. Since then I've gotten a couple more polling type calls but they are always state issues and I always hang up.

I think it depends on where you live. I never got any presidential poll calls because of course, nobody cares what California thinks.

But also I guess the point of push polls is to get ideas out there into peoples heads. Therefore they call as many people as possible. On the other hand, presidential election polls only sample 500 people or so. So it's understandably rare to be polled or even to know anyone who has. That's what, something like 1 in 600,000 odds of being polled?

(EDIT: oops, the odds are higher than that. That's the whole population of the US, not registered voters. Still it's statistically unlikely to be called.)

[Pathwalker]

40. Yes. Me. A friend. And a relative.

n/t

[blonndee]

41. I was polled once in the primaries (automated). Only time ever.

[Hansel]

42. I have been

I'm a middle aged white female. I was polled during the 2004 election and Quinnipiac called me 3 times right after the 2008 primary and left messages each time, but I missed all 3 calls. Obama would have been doing a vote better in Minnesota if I had been home.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

43. Got called by a push poll for Little Normie Coleman

once. After about five minutes, I told the woman i wouldn't vote for Coleman for dog catcher, much less Senator and hung up.

[adapa]

44. Yes, but I live in New Hampshire

[Clear Blue Sky]

45. No never...nt

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

46. Nope and nope.

I don't know anyone who has been polled.

[blondeatlast]

49. I'm an almost ideal demographic: WASP, middle class professional married mom with discretionary

income.

I've been push-polled by the Republicans several times. I don't think it's an accident that I get polled but that my brown skinned husband and friends of many other skin tones (all of whom are also middle class professionals) never seem to have been polled.

[goclark]

53. Duplicate - oops

[goclark]

54. Help me, what is a push poll and

I'm African American, a senior and a middle class professional -- never been polled and don't know of any friend/relative that was ever polled/

Interesting.
Thanks for responding

[Hippo_Tron]

72. Here's what a push poll is

Lets say that you're the son of a former President and you've started a few businesses and they've all failed. So you decide to go into politics and run for Governor of Texas. Daddy raises a lot of money for you, but the incumbent Governor is fairly popular and so you have to resort to dirty tricks to win.

One of these dirty tricks might be a push poll. What you would do is hire a guy like say, Karl Rove. You would have him then set up an operation where they call voters and spread a false rumor about the Governor under the guise of conducting a poll. It might sound something like: "Would you be more or less likely to vote for Ann Richards if you knew that she was a lesbian?"

Several years later you may decide to run for President yourself but there's this Senator from Arizona who might beat you if he wins the South Carolina primary. You may decide to again use a push poll but this time the call would sound something like: "Would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew that he had fathered an illegitimate black child?"

Now 8 years later, that Senator from Arizona really wants to be President. But unfortunately there's this far better candidate who also happens to be black. The Senator from Arizona might get desperate and conduct a push poll that sounds something like: "Would you be more or less likely to vote for Barack Obama if you knew that he fathered an illegitimate black Muslim child?"

And that my friend, is push polling in a nutshell.

[goclark]

56. Duplicate

[blondeatlast]

58. Leading questions; such as: "Do you think that John McCain's patriotism in

Viet Nam is relevant for a president when the US is at war on terror?"

Questions designed to get the polle to say exactly what they want to hear. Incidentally, most pollsters dont't know your name when they call--push-pollers do.

As I say, my Asian Indian (but registered Democratic) husband has never been polled.

I honestly believe that I get these poll calls because I'm on an A+ call list.

I also think polls are BS, fwiw.

[goclark]

62. Thanks for the input ~ valuable

[blondeatlast]

63. Just in case it ever happens to you, play with them. I always do. A couple of times I've gotten paid

hacks who are apolitical and have turned 'em around to my way of thinking! :rofl:

[goclark]

71. Great!

[4_Legs_Good]

50. I'm on the Gallup panel, so I get polled frequently

by Gallup of course. I can't tell you how disappointed I am when the first question isn't "are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way George W. Bush is handling his job?"

But most of them do start that way... :)

David

[goclark]

52. Fantastic! What did you have to do to get on the Gallup Panel?

?

[4_Legs_Good]

69. Just got picked

My wife, I think, got picked first and I was a tag-along. We must have just hit some demographic they were after.

Most of the questions/surveys are marketing bologna, but they usually start out with one or two current events/politics questions. Ocassionally I'll get a really good one I can sink my teeth into...

David

[Colobo]

55. Online Zogby polls every two weeks.

[goclark]

57. Good for you

How is Obama doing on On line Zogby?

[RichGirl]

59. I still have a land line...

...and I have never been polled. I did get a call once that said they were taking a survey and it would take about five minutes. I said "sure". The first question was, did I think life began at conception. I said "I don't know". They said, "thank you, bye"...click. It didn't take five minutes to ask that one question!!

I've never known anyone who has been polled.

[goclark]

80. So when you didn't give the right answer they said goodbye

Thanks for the input.

I wonder how many of the tabulations "disappear?"

[darius15]

60. Rasmussen called me once for a NJ poll a while ago

probably a few months back. It was the kind of poll where you have to press 1 if you support Obama, etc.

They asked me my most important issue (I said Economy) and if I viewed Obama and McCain favorably.

Since then they haven't called, and neither has anybody else.

[goclark]

82. Thanks, wonder how many never call again when you say Democrat

?

Help us folks, what can we do to get a fair and balanced POLL of the people of the USA?

In my mind there is just no way that the polls can be this close at this time.

It's as if they all get together,cherry pick the numbers and make us sweat that it is " so close" until they steal it.

Help! Not this time, please not again.

[Tutonic]

61. Yes. Two very slanted polls, that I'm sure were RNC based.

A little off course here but I have a deceased great aunt who was a "Nielson Family" who was 87 years old. How can that be representative of a "Family"? I always chuckled when I went to her house--back then they had a box attached to the TV to keep track of what the "families" were viewing. She mostly watched the soap operas and then slept through the remainder of the day while the TV blared whatever was on Channel 8-NBC.

[progressiveforever]

64. Once in 1988- but that was 20 years ago

It was a phone call from USA Today.

[Beausoir]

66. Yes. I have been polled. Many times over the phone.

I am a minor political activist who has worked on a couple of low-level (at the time) campaigns. I mostly just stuffed envelopes and worked the phone bank (which is a really hard work. btw.).

I guess that is how they got my number.

Before ANY poll survey I always ask who is conducting the poll. If they can't tell me who hired them I hang up.

[DesertRat]

67. Yes, I have but not recently. n/t

[CitizenLeft]

68. never.

And I don't know anyone who ever has.

[snowbear]

70. I've been polled by Gallup, 2x by Rasmussen, and TONS of local pollsters..

.
.

And I'll say it a million times -- Rasmussen uses PUSH POLLING techniques.

His polls are automated, and the only thing I'll give them is that they state that this is a "Rasmussen Reports" poll.

But after you select that you'll be voting for Obama, the message states..

"Please press one if you are less likely to vote for Senator Obama knowing that he will raise your taxes?"

It makes me wonder how their questions end up affecting the outcome of their polls?

[quakerboy]

73. Only Zogby Online

And they recently quit asking me political questions, and only send me consumer surveys that I refuse to participate in. Strangely that changed right around the time that Obama locked the nomination. Wonder why.

[SMC Beck]

74. Senior Too

I have never been polled and I have been involved with
politics for almost 30 years.

[ClayZ]

75. Nope. Not us, our kids or our friends.

[Hekate]

76. I used to complain about not being polled (as in: "Who the heck are they asking?") but now...

I seem to be on some list, maybe because I said yes to the first one.

They mostly seem to be local-issues polls--with decidedly non-local phone bankers. I talk back to them while answering their questions. Some are push-polls, which always makes me say, "This is a push-poll. Who is funding you?" Of course the callers never know and wouldn't say if they did, but often I can tell who hired them by the slant of the questions.

Most recently one of the questions was "What do you think is most responsible for the state of the economy?" and I burst out "George W. Bush!" The caller laughed out loud and said "Everyone is saying that, but that's not one of the three choices."

I think it's kind of like being tapped for jury duty -- it never happened for decades, and now I get the letter every couple of years, although to date no one has really wanted me on the panel. :eyes:

I signed up to do the online Zogby poll, which is kind of interesting and comes by email.

Who knows? Maybe your day will come too. :hi:

Hekate

[Norrin Radd]

77. Never, especially now since I've a cell phone, but no landline.

[cabbage08]

78. Yes, several times

[greendog]

79. Couple times a week.

Bastards won't leave me alone.

I usually hang up.

( 50 year old white guy living in a shack in the reddest part of Montana )

[No Elephants]

81. I was polled once. Thing is, you never know who's behind it.

[BornBlue]

84. I have been polled a couple of times

but, like most of the other responses never anything national. I still live at home with the repub parents so just for fun I will take any survey that calls and give obvious liberal answers with the folks in the room. They hate it because we live in a VERY RED county in Illinois. The last poll I got(a few months ago) was about a state race, but had some interesting questions regarding the national contest. It was very apparent that it leaned to the right.