2007-09-28 10:40:25 · 20 answers · asked by Tom D 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
To clarify: I *GET* that online polls don't sample a population representative of likely voters. What I want to know is: what makes Ron Paul so attractive to the online crowd, whereas he remains so unpopular with the rest of America? Alternatively, what's special about the online crowd that causes them to be drawn to Ron Paul--since the rest of America isn't?
2007-09-30 14:28:13 · update #1
Because eight internet trolls can't change reality.
2007-09-28 11:11:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 20⤊ 9⤋
On-line polls involve two things. First, participants must have a certain degree of tech awareness. Second, participants must self-select themselves to participate.
Both of those requirements indicate that on-line polls reflect the intensity of support for a candidate among a small group of the population (the same thing is true of meet-up sites). The vast majority of people who vote in primaries have never joined a meet-up group or voted in an on-line poll for anything other than American Idol.
The third thing is that on-line polls do not generally contain statistical adjustments. While technological changes are making it more difficult to conduct scientific polls, scientific polls generally adjust using certain verified socio-economic factors (age, income group, race, gender, educational status) to try to get a sample group that resembles the general public. To the extent that a group is over-represented or under-estimated among those actually questioned, the weight of those answers are adjusted. Thus five percent in a poll of 1,000 people does not necessarily mean that 50 people gave that answer. It means that if the population reflected a random sample, fifty people would have given that answer.
To date, most election results indicate that the population of "net activists" substantially differs from the voting public, perhaps even more than, for example, convention delegates.
To follow-up on your added part of the question, all I can note is that studies of activists emphasize the desire of activists for ideological purity on the issues that matter to them. There is also an anti-establishment element to net activists. Both of those tendencies make it easier for them to support a candidate who votes the line that they desire instead of engaging in the dirty work of horse-trading in which they vote for half the loaf feeling that something is better than nothing. In short, to misuse Henry Clay's old quote -- They want someone who rather be right than be President. They also wants someone who puts politics over government (as much as they claim that they don't).
2007-09-28 11:38:11 · answer #2 · answered by Tmess2 7 · 12⤊ 2⤋
For the same reason an obviously untalented person can win round after round of American Idol.
2007-09-29 09:09:17 · answer #3 · answered by Salsa Shark 4 · 14⤊ 2⤋
Because people who find him so fabulous online tend to be fans. People who participate in scientific polls are not.
2007-09-28 11:24:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 15⤊ 5⤋
Most of the blogs are populated by inexperienced dreamers in their teens and twenties. The real world has people much more mature and much more diverse.
2007-09-28 11:22:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 20⤊ 8⤋
Scientific polls are verifiable. Plus his 100 or so supporters on line have very little, if any influence. His websites always talk about all of the polls he has won. Straw polls, look it up.
His websites seem to be gospel to his little kiddies who actually think he can and will do something. He never has and never will. And that is verifiable. Just check the Congressional Record.
2007-09-28 10:44:29 · answer #6 · answered by Jim H 3 · 19⤊ 11⤋
Maybe the majority of Ron Paul supporters only vote for him in online polls and do not participate in the scientific polls.
So Paul is behind there because the minority amount of Ron Paul supporters voting for him in the online polls is not enough to match higher than those voting for other candidates.
2007-09-28 11:36:43 · answer #7 · answered by Michael M 6 · 3⤊ 16⤋
Because he has a lot of loonies who flood the online polls and blogs, they aren't a statistically significant sample.
Scientific polls are.
2007-09-28 10:47:51 · answer #8 · answered by joe s 6 · 21⤊ 8⤋
I'm sorry who? Never heard of the guy
2007-09-28 11:44:43 · answer #9 · answered by 1st Buzie 6 · 17⤊ 6⤋
Because the Media was told to blackball him. They all are paid to keep him out of amy news report. And who di we see all the time? obama & hillary for they are "allowed". Hillary will just take off where ever bush leaves us and do more callateral damage. obama is the fall guy, but needed an a pretend "race" to office.
When people hear Ron they do like what he is talking about. so the media does not want anyone to hear him or see him or know he exsists..... in the land that used to have free speach!
2007-09-28 14:15:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 16⤋
Who is Ron Paul?
2007-09-28 10:43:02 · answer #11 · answered by ? 6 · 21⤊ 10⤋