Thread: I am so sick of CNN opinion polls

This is the second day that a CNN online opinion poll is posted as front page news. The last paragraph of the article says that the telephone poll is usually around 1,000-2,000 people. I don't consider that credible information at all. Yet its front page news as if that handful of people speaks for a country of 300+ million. I think polls on Lou Dobbs show usually have more respondants than that!

Do they think we are that stupid? I HATE the MSM. After we pass legislation to get rid of the invaders there needs to be something done about the utter disregard of FACTS in news reporting. It's irresponsible and deceptive.

It's easy to call a demographic that will give you the answer you seek.

Dixie

TexasCowgirl,

Your frustration is well-founded and understandable.

A couple of things to keep in mind about the subject -
Lou Dobbs polls are strictly self-identifying / appointing polls, that are mostly indicators of who people that watch his program feel about a given subject on a given day. Which is not to say that they don't validate how many of his viewers - and even the mass of the public at large - feel about a particular subject. In that sense, it is not 'scientific' in the pure sense. Probably, 'suggestive' of wider public opinion however.

Remember: the importance of the message put out by the MSM, lies not in the details or facts of the thing or event itself, but is all about the 'wrapping' of the details. The context or details are purposefully couched as to elicit a certain impression or bias - while, of course, never acknowledging or showing such thing. How many news article have you read where IAs are described as 'undocumented immigrants' vs. 'illegal aliens'? Yeah, we know, that proportion is usually quite one-sided.

But, in fact, BASED ON LONGSTANDING US LAW - there is no such thing as an 'undocumented immigrant'. They are rarely 'undocumented' and they certainly can't claim 'immigrant' status. Both have specific definitions that are summarily overlooked by writers in the MSM. Is it ignorance, an evil conspiracy, or something else? Well, I have my own opinion as to the causes, but the fact there is such gross 'mis-characterization' which is perpetuated - knowingly - amongst many high profile news organizations is reason enough to be suspicious.

Back to polling - polling itself, has been refined and worked to the point that any competent pollster can produce a poll which 'appears' to produce a desired result or conclusion. So, the big question(s) to ask are:

"Did the said pollster have a specific intent in mind BEFORE composing and executing the said poll"?

"Who funded the poll and why"? (eg. Did they have a specific intent in mind when issuing the request for a poll?)

Then, you could dig into the more technical / methodologic aspects involved:

"How were the results compiled"?
"What was the sampling strategy"?
"How were respondents identified"?
"Has poll methodology been subjected to outside/peer review"?
"Can the results be replicated? (given same strategy, methodology, etc?)

etc.

Reputation and history of the organization executing the poll is VERY important and any poll/pollster worth their work will by quick to discuss methodology, results, and any questions about a particular poll.

There is a lot of lying an disinformation that is done in the name of 'polling' and it should always be identified and pointed out to EVERYONE!

There is a BIG difference between CNN polls and LOU Dobbs polls.

I agree with all of you, I know there is a difference with Lou's polls and a telephone survey poll. My point was that Lou usually has 3000-4000 responses and CNN only calls 1,000 people or so - and then they post the results as FRONT PAGE NEWS.

And Phred, I am well aware about how polls are skewed from the way the questions are worded to the way the results are presented. You can just check out Rick Sanchez's polls - once he asked if illegals never broke the law other than being here should they be allowed to stay - around 76% said no and 24% said yes and he would only say verbally (not showing the results on screen) that 24% said yes. My husband and I voted online so we saw the results first hand.

It's fine if the libs want to call their friends and make up all the polling results they want all day long. I just don't want it on the front page of cnn.com being passed off as news. That was my main complaint about Rueban Navarette's garbage writing editorials - it's not news, not based on facts and never documents facts, so why the hell is it posted on the front page of the site like something that is IMPORTANT?

I'm extra angry today.

BTW - this is the poll today that set me off
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/12/ ... index.html

CitizenJustice wrote:

There is a BIG difference between CNN polls and LOU Dobbs polls.

You're right, and even though I like Lou's polls, neither of them can be considered credible.

Originally Posted by MW

You're right, and even though I like Lou's polls, neither of them can be considered credible.

Its true. I love Lou, but his polls are always so lopsided. Lou has a sense of humor about it though...Yesterday he showed a clip of his appearance on the Daily Show. John Stewart remarked about one of his polls with 94% of the audience voting yes. Stewart said, "94%? Even Hugo Chavez doesn't get those kind of numbers."