The stupidity of the American public never fails to amaze me. The polls are in a dead heat. This

[still_one]

in spite of republican policies since reagan, whose trickle down economics, deregulation, and off-shoring our jobs have brought the country to its knees

[Scuba]

1. Most polls are designed to shape opinion, not measure it.

[still_one]

4. Even if that premise is valid, the power in this country has been shifting right for sometime, and

this in spite of the issues we face today being caused by that right wing philosophy

Polls or no polls, the elections since reagan have been favoring republicans or a republican agenda, even among elected Democrats, Bill Clinton being the best example

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. What specific percentage of polls are designed to shape opinion?

[Scuba]

6. Most means > 50%

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. How do you know that it is >50% if you don't know the exact number?

[Scuba]

9. What's your point?

As a business person I received thousands of polls every year, all trying to shape my opinion. Firms like Rasmussen carefully design their political polls to get the desired result.

"My poll shows Americans love Mitt Romney, jump on board!"

About 99.99% of polls are designed to influence, not measure.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. My point is that your assertion is wrong

Rasmussen aside, there are many polls conducted in a scientific manner which accurately reflect voter sentiment. If polls weren't useful in divining voter opinion, political campaigns wouldn't spend so much money on internal polls of which the results they never release to the public.

[Scuba]

13. I never suggested that polls couldn't be useful in measuring public opinion....

... only that most have a different intent.

[Curtland1015]

2. Following the polls can be disheartening.

But keep in mind, McCain was said to be ahead in the polls by a fair amount back in September 2008.

Even the final polls before the election, some of them had McCain leading.

[LonePirate]

3. Almost all American media outlets would rather keep America divided instead of telling the truth

The American media have no interest in factual and honest reporting on the topics of the day, especially in Washington where equality in coverage trumps the truth every day.

[99Forever]

7. You beleive "polls?"

There's your first mistake.

[still_one]

11. no, but the recent elections have not been particularly inspiring. Even when we briefly had the

majority in 2008, very little progressive movement took place.

All the struggles from the 50's, 60's and 70's, including civil rights, women rights, labor rights, Medicare, and Social Security are being threatened, and have been for sometime now. This didn't happen over night, it happened because of elections.

The whole situation is extremely disturbing to me

[99Forever]

18. I agree.

I just don't buy "polls," as most are flawed and done by people with their own agendas.

[Iggy]

12. "Stupidity is the disease of America"

Norman Mailer.

I agree, we have numerous very dumb and bigoted people in the U.S., in fact, this combined
with the continuing unchecked financial malfeasance going on everywhere we look, I don't
hold out much hope for our future.

as far as "polling", keep in mind FIFTY percent of eligible voters do not vote.. they have opted out
of the system. that in itself is a type of poll, a condemnation of our current system.

more people show up tp vote in Russia than here

[reformist2]

14. They want a horse race; I think Obama has a pretty big lead. Even so, we should keep fighting (obvi)

[earthside]

15. An accurate snapshot, unfortunately.

Of course, we like and publicize polls that show us what we want to see and cast doubt on those that don't.

But the truth is that most polling by reputable firms is fairly accurate ... or those companies wouldn't be in business.

I don't understand why folks are surprised that this election for president is very tight -- there has been a drumbeat for four years against Pres. Obama from the Teabaggers and Repuglicans -- and, frankly, another inconvenient truth is that Obama and the Democrats in Congress have not been very effective advocates for themselves or for their own cause.

I am one of those few here that believe that Pres. Obama is going to have a tough time getting reelected. It is part of a bigger picture ... the country's move to the extreme right is still going on and there has simply not been a strong, principled countervailing effort from the left to staunch this rightward drift.

For instance, we simply do not have an effective argument or spokesperson against the clearly existing plutocracy -- progressives, liberals and Democrats are still too afraid to make a strong case for working people and against the corporatists, the one percent, etc. -- because they don't want to be perceived as "anti-success."

Indeed, there is a zeitgeist of contempt these days towards work and labor, that is, working people deserve few benefits, lower wages, shouldn't organize, better be 'competitive' with the Chinese, etc. In spite of the bankers and the Wall Street debacle of 2007-08, the super rich are still lauded and adored as the epitome of what the American Dream is all about. Just look at the popular culture to see where most Americans are these days, for instance on television: reality rich people versus hillbillies.

I know it is depressing, but Pres. Obama's refound populist rhetoric is late in coming and Citizens United is going to have a huge impact in moving the nation even further into neo-feudalism.

Yup. Americans are pretty stupid these days because they still want to think that they can get rich someday and be just like Mitt Rmoney, but sadly, it is impolitic to tell the truth that we have less economic mobility than the Europeans.

So, take these polls seriously; they tell the tragic truth.

[still_one]

16. Unfortunately, I agree /nt

[Enrique]

17. they have seen trickle-down, deregulation and off-shoring from democrats too

it isn't clear-cut along those lines