Polling - It's Not Always What You Think It Is!

I arose this morning to take a Zogby survey that arrived in my mail yesterday, and as one would expect, the questions related to the upcoming election. There were a series of questions, one of which I have pasted below:

"Barack Obama is an African American. Thinking of how you feel personally, does the fact that he is an African American make you much more likely, somewhat more likely, somewhat less likely or much less likely to vote for him for President?


Much more likely
Somewhat more likely
Somewhat less likely
Much less likely
Not sure"

The questions that followed offered the same responses, while the questions were changed to reflect a different candidate: Hillary/woman - McCain/old - Romney/Mormon. Just substitue the name and the aspect selected and you've got the question.

Here is a copy of the email I sent to Zogby International:

Sirs:

I found your questions regarding race/gender/religious affiliation/age to be offensive in nature because you failed to list a very important response that would have been checked much more frequently than "Don't Know".

How about: "Makes No Difference" as an option - the one true option that many Americans would have selected because your race, your gender, your religious affiliation, and your age are not qualifying factors as far as most educated voters are concerned.

I can understand the reason behind offering all the options you did offer - there will be voters that select their candidate based on race/gender/religion, maybe even some Gray Panthers out there who would vote for a candidate just because they've attained "senior citizen" status, but I would contend that the vast majority of Americans will vote for the person they feel is best qualified and who's policies most closely resemble their own.

By not offering a "Makes No Difference" option, you failed to allow Americans to show you how much the words "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal..." mean to them.

Shame on you!

This is only one, small example of how polls and the data they provide should all be taken with a grain of salt.

Remember when Dewey beat Truman? The picture at the top is quite famous - really kids - and it serves as a reminder that the fourth estate is comprised of human beings, subject to the same foibles as the rest of us. That was not a poll, but it was a headline based upon early results that the Chicago Daily Tribune gambled were right - but they weren't.

The next time you take a survey, look at the way the questions are phrased and see what kind of results they're really looking for, and if you see a question that is inadequate in any way - call them on it!

It may not make any difference to them, but since its your country too, you have every right to express yourself - DO IT!