Why are the media giving so much credence to the national polls?

[StarfishSaver]

We're not having a national primary.

I have a problem with polls in general, especially at this early stage. They've gone from helping to inform the larger conversation to BEING the larger conversation, mostly due to the laziness of the political press, who don't want to go through the bother of learning and reporting on issues and policies so they obsess over the polling data.

But if we're going to obsess over polls, shouldn't we be talking a out polls that actually tell us something about the race rather. National polls tell us nothing at this stage since there is no national primary. It seems like a waste of time to constantly talk about them.

[33taw]

1. I think it is because we all jump every time our candidate goes up or down.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. They want a horse race narrative, at least until they decide

They want an inevitability narrative- national polls can be used to craft either narrative, in attempts to shape voter behaviour.

[PatrickforO]

3. So, allow me to pose a question.

You suggest that polls are the conversation because the press is too lazy to bother learning and reporting on issues and policies.

That the media always wants to report on a 'horse race' is a fair point, and one with which I quite agree.

Your point there is no national primary is also well put.

But, where I differ with you is that by saying, "...mostly due to the laziness of the political press, who don't want to go through the bother of learning and reporting on issues and policies..." you seem to be suggesting that it is a matter of laziness and ignorance, nothing more.

I think it is more. In fact, I'm convinced that the corporations who own our media outlets exercise quite a bit of power over what these talking heads report. So, even if the talking head is well versed in the issues, they are still beholden to their owners to bring in high ratings because shareholder profits rule all else in this society. So, you see, I am convinced the truth has long been made a slave to profit.

This is why Trump, the quintessential reality star keeps harping on 'fake news.' He knows this. He knows ratings, and thus shareholder profits, are king. So he deliberately undermines the fourth estate so people become acclimated to being fed lies and then watching the conflict that ensues.

Donald Trump's most horrible act, among very, very many, is this tearing down of American institutions. He has made political discourse just like 'professional' wrestling - everyone knows it is fake, so they watch it only for entertainment.

[Uncle Joe]

7. + all that exists.

[Butterflylady]

4. Horse race my dear, got to keep the hype going.

It's all about the almighty dollar. As it goes on it will only get worse.

[SouthernProgressive]

5. Two reasons.

To let people know how their fellow Americans are feeling.

Second, it's much more accurate than state polls. Specially this early.

[StarfishSaver]

8. I'm as interested as interested as anyone else in how my fellow Americans are feeling

But I don't need to hear about it all day every day. And the reporting on the polls isn't presented as "here's what your fellow Americans think." It's presented as # horserace that somehow predicts the outcome of the primary races taking place months from now. And in addition, the incessant coverage helps to influence the outcome. If people are told constantly that Elizabeth Warren has 1/3 the support that Biden has, that can influence people who might want to support Warren not to vote for her because they think enough other people won't vote for her to make her "electable." If people are told over and over that Castro only has 3% support nationally, that will surely negatively impact the votes he might get in Iowa.

I'm already tired of these polls that tell us
nothing and it's only August 2019.

[SouthernProgressive]

10. "I'm already tired of these polls that tell us nothing"

They tell us a lot. Lots of info in them.

"It's presented as # horserace that somehow predicts the outcome of the primary races taking place months from now."

That statement is in direct conflict with itself. The media is trying to create a horse race but so far they have had much less of an impact than I thought they would. The polls aren't supporting their wants. We simply don't have a horse race.

[highplainsdem]

6. Because polls are among the few real data points we have, as opposed to punditry and candidate

speeches.

Because we DO care about which candidate has the most support nationally. If we didn't, no one would ever mention that HRC won the popular vote.

Because no one can be absolutely sure which individual states might turn out to be THE most important swing states, so doing one-state polls has limited relevance.

Because those national polls tell voters which candidates are being taken most seriously by other voters, which can help them decide whom to support, or who needs more support from them to become more competitive.

Because those polls tell candidates whether their messages and campaigns are effective.

[GeorgeGist]

9. Benjamins.

[comradebillyboy]

11. Because there are 50 separate state elections

and no national election. Electoral college is also state by state. So national polling doesn't tell the whole story.

[StarfishSaver]

12. I feel the same way about national polls leading up to the general election

We're just not there yet.

Harping on national polls "because there are 50 separate state elections and no national election" is like the guy who lost his keys in the driveway but looks for them in the garage because the light's better there.

[comradebillyboy]

13. National polls can be informative but they are easily

misunderstood. They would be much more meaningful if we could do away with the electoral college.