Election polling opinion from NY, regarding cell phones...must read!

[Javaman]

Election rides on the 917 vote

by Jimmy Breslin
October 21, 2004

On Sept. 15, there were 168,900,019 cell phones in America, according to the cell phone institute in Washington.

Not one phone user was called by the political pollsters reporting with such marvelous accuracy on the Bush-Kerry race. A month later, on yesterday afternoon, there now were 170,475,160 cell phones in America, according to the cell phone institute.

In one month, 1,575,000 new cell phones have been bought. Not one cell phone has been called during the presidential campaign. This is because there is no method for polling cell phones. Nobody has their numbers. Nor do they know who the users are, where they live and what they do. You have 170 million phones and you talk to none of them and then try to say you know what the public is thinking.

A month ago, pollster John Zogby said he had discontinued telephone polls because cell phones had made any and all results meaningless. Now if you pay attention to polls, you are insane.

Yesterday, the polls showed a Bush surge. It never happened because they were basing it on thin air. There also were figures showing
Kerry winning states like Ohio in the Midwest. They came up with the
percentages without calling one cell phone of the millions and millions of them in the area. I believe nothing.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[kypp]

1. Excellent article!

[democrat_patriot]

2. I'm almost 40 and haven't had a land line in 2 years.

Neither to much of my family. In 40's as well.

I've given up with the polls. Who are they polling, just random people at dinner? Maybe they're mad that their meatloaf is getting cold. Maybe they switch answers to be 'funny'.

I don't know of a foolproof way to know how people will vote. What's the percentage of people that change their mind while voting?

[democrat_patriot]

3. It's going to come down to GOTV.

If every DU'er volunteered, we could easily get it done.

[DURHAM D]

4. If Zogby doesn't use telephones how does he poll ? n/t

[kostya]

5. Encouraging, but I'm yet to be convinced that the registered

"youth" voters are really going to vote in a larger percentage than what they've done historically, which is pretty pathetic. If we even get 10% higher turnout with this age group though, it's in the bag IMHO. - K

[Moderator]

6. Javaman

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
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Here is the link:

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-nybres214013687oct21,0,6406517.column


Thank you.

DU Moderator