Do Americans Believe That Polls are Useful?

Question

There is a Rasmusen poll that shows that Bush has higher approval than Pelosi.

Is that informative?

Yahoo doesn't want you to know that the poll shows that Pelosi has a LOWER approval rating than Bush.

FACT!

Answer 1

Polls also showed that Gore and Kerry won their presidential elections. Polls are taken by a small group of people...sometimes a select group. They usually mean nothing.

Answer 2

Its likely the poll you tried to post would have been an infringement of copyright.

Polls can be very useful for a variety of purposes. Contrary to what many think , it is not a reasonable tool to wave & say how come _____ isn't doing what the people want? Can't he read the polls, isn't this a democracy.?

On a separate note some voters here & elsewhere will use polls to back a frontrunner w their vote.

Personally I don't find it informative how anyone is polling against anyone else unless I am working on a campaign team

Answer 3

Polls are very useful, however the partys have their own polls and those you cannot believe, look for independant polls, and unbias polls and you will get your own answer as to what is useful and what is hype. I have never heard of the Rasmusen poll and I don't know the numbers on the other polls to this question.

Answer 4

It depends on who you ask... some people honestly believe that if a poll says 32% of Americans are supportive of President Bush... then they want to get out their calculators and detemine exactly how many people that refers to!

HOWEVER, it gives a BASIC determination.

Mathematically - it is impossible to ask every person in the country their views. Therefore - a much MUCH smaller populous is asked (Hopefully - annonymously) how they feel... normally just a few thousand people.

Finally, based on those results - polls and the percentages are made.

Because of this random selection - often times, the sample is accurate... however it is not guarenteed!

I think any person is able to figure out this is NOT an exact science - but rather a pretty close estimation!

Answer 5

Polls used to have some value when they were done periodically by objective outside sources. But now they are done by news services, and political parties and activists with an agenda. Obviously, their agenda affects the outcome. The media now generates polls to "create" news stories and try to influence political decisions. That was never the intention of polls and negates any potential value they could have.

Answer 6

The fact is that Rasmussen has Bush's approval at 39% and holding and Pelosi's at 43% and skyrocketing (from 24% in November)

The more people get to know Pelosi (apart from the lies thrown out by Fox and Rush) the more they are liking her.

I imagine her ratings will jump up after Bush said such nice things about her last night.

Answer 7

Polls are fine to gage what the general public is thinking.

BUT, when you use polls to govern a country as Clinton did it becomes dangerous. He cared more about his poll numbers than the good of the country. AND, who wants some Joe Schmo sitting at home drinking a beer (who is not well informed in politics or current events) influencing what our leaders do!

I like GWB more than Nancy Pelosi - BY FAR!

Answer 8

I suppose to some polls are useful, Personally I just let my conscious be my guide.

Answer 9

Is they are if they are legit, however you have been spamming other questions and a recent poll I conducted said you wont be here long

Answer 10

somewhat