are they always right? who can tell me an instance or a few when polls where saying one thing and it turned out to be the contrary...
2006-11-06 11:26:34 · 11 answers · asked by Luis R 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
It is call statistical psychology. If you ask a cross section of 1000 people how they feel about a certain subject, you will be pretty accurate as to the outcome when projected over millions of people. Does it work, I would say yes as long as the polls are not bias. Such as the democratic polls or the repuglican polls. But a independent third party is probably right on the money inside of the level of inaccuracy that is in any poll. I think the biggest failure in the system was the Truman V. Dewey election when it was projected for Dewey to win. As we know it didn't happen.
2006-11-06 11:36:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The polss are just a snapshot in time and depend so much on demographics of those polled...For instance... Apoll showing Bob Corker ahead by 14% 24 hours ago...Is he really ahead that much...Well, The poll was done in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tn. ..That definitely can skew the numbers...
2006-11-06 19:31:37 · answer #2 · answered by LENNON3804 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have actually been in a few polls. They call you on the phone and ask questions pertaining to that specific poll. So, if they call enough people in one area, they may get an erroneous number. It like calling people on the phone and asking if they smoke Marijuana, some that actually smoke it, may say no!
2006-11-06 19:37:11 · answer #3 · answered by Snaglefritz 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
John Kennedy became President despite the close polls.
2006-11-06 19:28:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
polls are only as good as who you are polling. if you poll all republicans you are going to get republican votes. Even in the 2004 elections the exit pollsters were calling for a kerry victory. Thank God they were wrong yet again.
2006-11-06 19:30:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You mean when the exit polls for the last presidential election said that John Kerry won several districts, and then George Bush actually got the credit for them?
2006-11-06 19:28:24 · answer #6 · answered by Beardog 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
No, they are not always right. Example? The last Presidential election when we were told Kerry would win easily. That didn't go as planned.
2006-11-06 19:30:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
"Dewey Defeats Truman"
2006-11-06 19:28:00 · answer #8 · answered by SatanicYoda 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It is usally said that polls have margains for error. It is not scientific, just informal way to decide something.
2006-11-06 19:29:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
They've been right, or pretty close lately.
Dems are sweeping tomorrow
2006-11-06 19:30:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋