why do online polls matter so much?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

Maybe I am just nuts (it is entirely possible, you know) but why do people get so bent out of shape over these online polls? They are non-scientific in nature...and in many case in the most obscure backwaters of the internet news scene. What is the point?

theProdigal

[NamVetsWeeLass]

1. I don't know why they get all bent out of Shape over them

I just wish we had a more Reliable way to tell how Kerry is really doing against the Shrub. I know what I think, But what I think doesn't count for anything. I will proudly wear my "Proud to be voting Democrat" hat to the Polls, and I will proudly cast my One vote for John Kerry. I don't know, I just wish that the polls didn't seem to be skewed toward one candidate or another based on what "party" the entity sponsoring the Poll is.

[Gore1FL]

2. Thebasic reason is the news media

Polls themselves seem to be more "newsworthy" by some of the outlets than the news itself.

Despite their admittance tobeing unscientific, it still focuses the debate around the "non-scientific" results.

Online Polls shift the debate -- whether or not the poll or the results are valid.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. but how does a poll retain it's relevance when it

is discovered by DU or FR and gets DU'ed or FR'ed? A little news outlet in Podunk MI which normally get about 100 hits a day all of a sudden skyrockets to 20,000 hits and 10,000 votes on their little online poll and it it nothing more than a battle between DU and FR type websites. The poll loses all meaning when that occurs so I guess that is why I am really asking...

Thanks for the comments!
theProdigal

[Gore1FL]

4. No relevance whatsoever -- but...

That won't stop whatever media channel that chooses to discuss it from discussing it.

A good example is the CNN poll that overwhelmingly called for Gore to quit trying to count the votes in FL. Despite being overwhelmingly Freeped, CNN (while stating it was not scientific) presented it as Gospel.

Media is the hing on which Public Perception swings.

I don;t think this is a good or valid approach, but unfortunately not participating allows others to control the political debate.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. i guess I can see that

but unfortunately not participating allows others to control the political debate

Make sense enough...

Thanks,
theProdigal

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. They are generally meaningless and worthless.

But they get treated as though their results mean something and they have value. It is somewhat maddening, really. Reminded me of a quote from Umberto Eco (written in 1995, this was): "There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People."