Comments on: Tricks of the Polling Trade http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/tricks_of_the_polling_trade/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:09:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Kate http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/tricks_of_the_polling_trade/comment-page-1/#comment-25494 Kate Tue, 19 Oct 2004 15:56:17 +0000 /?p=7762#comment-25494 Something curious happened during the last Canadian election. With the governing Liberals knee deep in the huge "sponsorship scandal", polls showed the traditional support for the Libs in Ontario had softened and at one point the Conservatives were actually ahead. Yet, when they actually voted, they returned mostly Liberals to parliament from Ontario - the suspected reason for the polling discrepency? It was thought that Liberal supporters were embarrassed to admit they were voting for the scandal ridden party. But when they went to the polls, they voted for them in the privacy of anonymity. I haven't spent enough time in the US to know if the media pileon of Bush may be having a similar effect on some supporters - but I wonder.... Something curious happened during the last Canadian election. With the governing Liberals knee deep in the huge "sponsorship scandal", polls showed the traditional support for the Libs in Ontario had softened and at one point the Conservatives were actually ahead.

Yet, when they actually voted, they returned mostly Liberals to parliament from Ontario - the suspected reason for the polling discrepency? It was thought that Liberal supporters were embarrassed to admit they were voting for the scandal ridden party.
But when they went to the polls, they voted for them in the privacy of anonymity.

I haven't spent enough time in the US to know if the media pileon of Bush may be having a similar effect on some supporters - but I wonder....

]]> By: James Joyner http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/tricks_of_the_polling_trade/comment-page-1/#comment-25492 James Joyner Tue, 19 Oct 2004 15:21:25 +0000 /?p=7762#comment-25492 If I didn't need land line for TiVo and DirecTV, I'd be in that boat, too. If I didn't need land line for TiVo and DirecTV, I'd be in that boat, too.

]]> By: Alex Knapp http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/tricks_of_the_polling_trade/comment-page-1/#comment-25491 Alex Knapp Tue, 19 Oct 2004 15:20:12 +0000 /?p=7762#comment-25491 I also wonder how the ubiquitous proliferation of cell phones has affected polling. I don't have a home phone--just a cell phone. I know lots of other people in the same boat. I also wonder how the ubiquitous proliferation of cell phones has affected polling. I don't have a home phone--just a cell phone. I know lots of other people in the same boat.

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