Sun Jun 17, 2012, 12:25 AM

Race Matters: Why Gallup Poll Finds Less Support For President Obama

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Source: Huffingtonpost

<Snip>
Over the past few years, however, polling junkies have noticed something curious: Gallup's polls have produced results that appear slightly but consistently more negative to President Obama than those produced by other firms.

The Huffington Post has conducted an independent analysis that confirms the phenomenon and points to a likely explanation. The problem lies in the way that Gallup handles the racial composition of its samples, and the findings highlight significant issues with how polls are developed and conducted today.

The dirty little secret of telephone surveys now conducted by most media outlets is that their unweighted samples alone cannot provide reliable estimates of population demographics like race and Hispanic ancestry.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/17/gallup-poll-race-barack-obama_n_1589937.html

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17 replies	Author	Time	Post
Race Matters: Why Gallup Poll Finds Less Support For President Obama (Original post)	Grassy Knoll	Jun 2012	OP
I wonder how much "broke matters"	XemaSab	Jun 2012	#1
Funny you should mention that...	jaysunb	Jun 2012	#2
when you put it that way, answering the polling call is a little like flunking an IQ test	yurbud	Jun 2012	#11
LOL, OMG, You just described.....	Grassy Knoll	Jun 2012	#3
delusional to the point she was actually slightly worse than Mitt	PatrynXX	Jun 2012	#4
I don't owe anyone any money and I never answer a number I don't recognize	Ter	Jun 2012	#9
.	XemaSab	Jun 2012	#10
bingo	magical thyme	Jun 2012	#12
Phone polling is dead thanks to the cell phone	longship	Jun 2012	#5
I don't buy it	ailsagirl	Jun 2012	#6
They say it because their figures are bullshit and their heads are up their butts!	MADem	Jun 2012	#8
ailsagirl im not buying it eithier	bonniebgood	Jun 2012	#16
They're just NOW figuring this shit out? Well, as Gomer would say, "Sur-PRIZE, Sur-PRIZE!" nt	MADem	Jun 2012	#7
The polling industry is out of control and needs to be reined in	bluestateguy	Jun 2012	#13
gallup polling is really meaningless	SemperEadem	Jun 2012	#14
In places like Florida	DWinNJ	Jun 2012	#15
This is not breaking news	OKNancy	Jun 2012	#17

Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 12:31 AM

XemaSab (57,498 posts)

1. I wonder how much "broke matters"

I would wager that a lot of households screen calls from people they don't know because they owe some money somewhere.

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Response to XemaSab (Reply #1)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 12:56 AM

jaysunb (8,003 posts)

2. Funny you should mention that...

I don't answer my house phone from callers whose # I don't recognize these days because of a couple of very aggresive bill collectors. Twice now, I've seen the or heard it was Gallop or another pollster calling.
There's lots of validity to your observation.

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Response to jaysunb (Reply #2)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 04:34 AM

yurbud (31,460 posts)

11. when you put it that way, answering the polling call is a little like flunking an IQ test

If I don't recognize the number or the ID is blocked, I figure I can just listen to what they have to say in voicemail.

And anything that skews toward the stupid gives the GOP a distinct advantage.

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Response to XemaSab (Reply #1)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 12:57 AM

Grassy Knoll (4,357 posts)

3. LOL, OMG, You just described.....

at lease 1/3 of this country, and repigs aren't exempt, contrary to fox noise.
To get an honest poll is impossible. According to right wing polls, Harry Reid
was neck and neck with a delusional 2nd amendment remedies teabagger.

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Reply #3)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 01:35 AM

PatrynXX (2,620 posts)

4. delusional to the point she was actually slightly worse than Mitt

in ignoring the press. which effectively killed her chances

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Response to XemaSab (Reply #1)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 02:48 AM

Ter (4,225 posts)

9. I don't owe anyone any money and I never answer a number I don't recognize

It could be someone I don't want to talk to, or worse, a boss asking me to come in on my day off.

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Response to Ter (Reply #9)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 03:21 AM

XemaSab (57,498 posts)

10. .

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Response to Ter (Reply #9)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 06:13 AM

magical thyme (4,254 posts)

12. bingo

I've been screening calls ever since they invented the answering machine. If I can't tell who it is on the other end, it's probably a telemarketer, and whatever it is they're selling I'm simply not buying. If I can tell who it is, I may or may not want to talk to them. And yeah, that definitely includes my boss of the moment.

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 01:42 AM

longship (18,217 posts)

5. Phone polling is dead thanks to the cell phone

I have no land line. Many of my friends likewise do not either.

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Response to longship (Reply #5)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 02:23 AM

ailsagirl (9,589 posts)

6. I don't buy it

All you have to do is compare the huge crowds who show up to hear Obama with the handful of people who come out to listen to Nitt. The contrast is striking. How on earth can they be in a close race?

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Response to ailsagirl (Reply #6)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 02:31 AM

MADem (87,277 posts)

8. They say it because their figures are bullshit and their heads are up their butts!

And of course, it's, as always, down to who COUNTS the votes...

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Response to ailsagirl (Reply #6)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 09:23 AM

bonniebgood (218 posts)

16. ailsagirl im not buying it eithier

I don't answer the land-line anymore. 800, out of area, private, unknown, HELL TO THE NO.
Talk to my answering machine to messages i don't play back. I just push one button when the machine is full- "delete all". the only reason I keep my land-line is to keep my cell number from calls like the above. If you read or do a survey in THE REPUBLICAN Newsmax, they will spam you to OBLIVION AND BLOW UP YOUR PHONE.

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 02:29 AM

MADem (87,277 posts)

7. They're just NOW figuring this shit out? Well, as Gomer would say, "Sur-PRIZE, Sur-PRIZE!" nt

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 07:20 AM

bluestateguy (40,060 posts)

13. The polling industry is out of control and needs to be reined in

and that can be done by having Congress pass the Poll Control Act.

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 07:36 AM

SemperEadem (8,023 posts)

14. gallup polling is really meaningless

Last edited Sun Jun 17, 2012, 07:39 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

I have never, ever gotten a phone call from gallup, so I am not inclined to believe that they call more than 3 people and then call themselves done.

And I, too like many others here, have not had a land line in over 8 years.

besides, the only poll that matters takes place in November.

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 08:53 AM

DWinNJ (203 posts)

15. In places like Florida

They are trying to adjust the eligible voting rolls to fit the Gallop poll respondents.

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Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

Sun Jun 17, 2012, 09:40 AM

OKNancy (30,205 posts)

17. This is not breaking news

It is an analysis piece. Please post in GD or Good reads or Politics 2012. Thanks

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