A reminder about the business of polling

[randr]

I must confess my anxiety increases every time I see these polls that keep wavering back and forth. I remind myself that the people running and reporting these polls are the very same people who are benefiting from the out of control spending on national campaigns.
The idea that this is a "horse race" only spurs candidates to raise more money that ends up in the hands of these few media corporations.
Now I do know, as we all must, that the candidates are spending a great deal of money on their own polls and they, for the most part, keep this information to themselves. The use this information to target their ads and campaign travel itinerary.
As I see it now, the b* team is running around in an effort to shore up their core supporters. The recent bills placed before congress are examples of there desperate groveling to the far right. The image that comes to my mind is of the little Dutch boy trying to stop the dam from leaking.
The Kerry team, on the other hand, is taking the fight to the heart of b*land. His move in style and rhetoric to gather in voters from the political center is evidence of his faith and trust that his team is on board.
The fact that Kerry has taken the fight to the red states while * continues to return time and time again to these same people is enough for me to dismiss most of what I hear from the greed-head media.

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

1. Are the polls biased then?

That's what it sounds like the argument is. If that's the case, why acknowledge them at all?

[Beetwasher]

3. Polls Can Be Biased in Several Different Ways

However, they are STILL bellweathers and can indicate trends...

I don't think any polls actually make up numbers from whole cloth, but I do think some (not all) bias their samples or adjust their weighting so they get a more desired (read pro-Bush) outcome. Gallup comes to mind, I think they are the most egregious.

[Union Thug]

2. My father reported this potential chicanery...

...Pollster calls and informs my father that they are doing a poll on the presidential campaign. He asks my father party affiliation. My father answers, "democrat". Pollster hangs up.

Maybe we're reading too much into this, but is it possible that this pollster was trying 'edit' democrats from the poll in order to skew the numbers to favor Chimpy?

Enquiring minds want to know!