How to get a "yes" answer for polls...

[elduderino]

... apply a simple twist that makes the question ambiguous.

Ask "Did Bush potentially create a safer world security situation by attacking Iraq?" and 90% will say anything between "NO" to "I don't think so".

But, twist it, and ask, "Do you think America and its people by and large stand for freedom and justice for Iraq?" - and most in the UK will say "Yes" simply because they will hope Bush cannot carry on like an idiot for ever.

As for American polls, for all the polls that are reported, I live in a big city, and I know not of ONE person that has been asked any questions, and nobody I know knows anybody who's been asked ANY question on ANY poll.

Does anybody on these boards at the moment know of anyone that has been "polled"?

[absolutezero]

1. no

I've never been polled, unless it was a CNN,MSNBC website poll.

[Political_Junkie]

2. I was polled by

my local news just before the Iraq war. They asked if I supported the president's plans for war and then asked if I thought Bush was doing a good job as president. The results, as expected, were quite depressing. I don't remember the exact numbers, but something like 65% were supportive. This is in an area that is largely democratic, not to mention that New Englander's, for the most part, believe in staying out of other people's business (which, of course, includes staying out of their countries).
I'm sure these numbers would be much lower today, not that that's any consolation to the Iraqi people or the military families who have lost their loved ones.
I think that the Bush Media Machine is just too powerful for most people to ignore.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. And the media massages these polls, don't forget

I was in Post Office Square in downtown Boston at the beginning of the war and one of our local Boston stations was out interviewing people. Now, Post Office Square is the heart of the Financial District so you'd think that the majority of the comments would be pro-Bush. The poor interviewer stood there while financial folks in suits ripped Bush a new one. It took about 15 tries until they found someone who was pro-Bush enough for the local news. Needless to say, which comment do you think appeared on Channel 7?

[MI Cherie]

3. Not lately ...

... but in the last few years I have been called.

The lady was nice, asking if I had 5-6 minutes to answer some questions. Evidently, I didn't answer her first question satisfactorily — I had a negative opinion of our then repuke governor. She thanked me for my time and hung up!

The last time, the guy was not as polite. He asked to speak to the "republican voter" in the house. I said that there wasn't one here. He then just hung up!

:shrug:

[sangh0]

5. I've been polled

twice by Quinnipiac