Comments on: Reading Tea Leaves

By: Gaius

Gaius — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:50:39 +0000

And yet we keep hearing whining when the results of any given election don’t match the exit polls or pre-election polls.

The fact is, people are lying to pollsters. That is one of the reasons I do not generally trust polls except for looking at trending (and evene that I tend to not trust 100%).

By: TC@LeatherPenguin

TC@LeatherPenguin — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:47:41 +0000

What’s really funny, and is the biggest reason I would be hardpressed to pay attention to any poll, is that every single person I know also admits to lying through their teeth when they get a pollster on the phone. No matter the subject, they refuse to answer honestly even if it’s about something as trivial as their favorite brand of beer of flavor of ice cream.

By: Gaius

Gaius — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:05:29 +0000

Yeah – I saw “Rasmussen” on the caller ID and about broke a record picking it up.

And Martin, there is some attempt to correct for that, but if too many lie, the poll is hosed. Big time. I did enough design of experiment work to know that is a pollster’s worst nightmare.

By: TC@LeatherPenguin

TC@LeatherPenguin — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:51:43 +0000

Whenever I get called I use what I call the “North/South” method of response. I lie when answering the first actual survey question (after the demographic crap)–no matter what the question is–then answer the next question in a way diametrically opposite the first, and so on through the rest of the survey, whipsawing my way from moonbat lefty to wingnut righty as each question is put forward.

Wife just doesn’t understand why I love answering those survey calls, even though we’re supposedly on that useless “Don’t Call” list and curse a blue streak when any other telemarketing type dials our number.

By: Martin Morgan

Martin Morgan — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 14:10:14 +0000

Actually they account for liars-as you were a Repub lying to sound like a Dem, there was surely a Dem lying to sound like a Repub-so the poll is still accurate.

By: v

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:00:42 +0000

Don’t worry syn. Let Blue Crab keep encouraging his fellow wingnuts to make Congress keep supporting our President. Works for me.

By: syn

syn — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 10:16:34 +0000

I don’t trust these type of polls any more than I trust Republican politicians who conveniently lose thier spine just to keep their power. I do trust that the average American citizen is wise enough to rise above the fray, the maniopulation, the lies and support what is right.

Everytime I hear ‘support slipping’ I go to anysoldier.com and send out three more packages in addition to the weekly packages I already send.