How is it that Faux News's polls are so different from everybody elses?

[althecat]

There has always been a spread between the various polls.. but I think it is getting much wider. How can every poll give the race to Kerry except Gallup?

http://www.pollingreport.com/wh04gen.htm

I notice looking closer that part of the difference seems to be between polling "likely" voters vs "registered voters" registered voters seem to be significantly more likely not to have made up their minds.

Then when you get into the details it gets even more obvious.

http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. May 18-19, 2004. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.

Approve Disapprove Don't Know.
48 43 9

...5 days earlier

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. May 13-14, 2004. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

Approve Disapprove Don't know...
42 52 6

*****

These polls cannot statistically both be right. The divergence is way over the margin of error in fact it is three times the margin of error.

*****

Or try this one.. Bush Favourability

http://www.pollingreport.com/BushFav.htm

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. May 13-14, 2004. N=832 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 4.

Approve Disapprove Don't know...
46 46 8

Nine days earlier

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. May 4-5, 2004. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.

Approve Disapprove Don't know...
50 42 8

*****

This time the variation is closer to the margin of error but it is still over it, and notably it exceeds it in Bush's favour by the maximum possible margin.

*****

[UTUSN]

1. Because the Beltway Geezers, HUME, O'REILLY

outvote Greta?

[daa]

3. Not sure about O'Liar

He may get sacked if he keeps it up. He is not happy with chimpy and Iraq.

[checks-n-balances]

2. Faux News's polls different from everybody elses? I'm shocked

...shocked, I tell you! Who'd a thought....?

You mean the FAIR & BALANCED network???

[napi21]

4. They have a very slanted audience!

I don't know ANYONE who watches FOX. If they do theirs the same as CNN & MSNBC, I'm surprised they don't have Shrub winning by a landslide.

[troublemaker]

5. I think Fox polls only during the week

on the theory that Republicans, being rich, are likelier to be away on weekends. The weekday/week-end polling thing has been a conservative bitching point for years.