Do Polls Miss Views of the Young & Mobile?

[rinsd]

by Audie Cornish

All Things Considered, October 1, 2007 · Barack Obama has raised a ton of money and draws large crowds everywhere he goes. But he's stuck in second place in the polls.

One reason, says his campaign, is that polls don't capture his young fans, many of whom rely exclusively on their cell phones. Researchers are concerned about more and more people ditching their landlines, but they also stand by their polls.

A Growing Group

The number of people who have dropped their landlines in favor of cell phones isn't really all that large. The problem is, that number is growing like crazy.

"We were all scared to death in 2004, because we had a close race and the cell phone-only problem was already with us then," says Scott Keeter, the head of surveys at the Pew Research Center.

More at the link - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14863373

Cool article for you poll junkies out there.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Yes, some. But the young don't vote as much as other populations.

So, in their case that's no big deal.

[Adelante]

2. I'm old

And I only have a cell phone. In case anybody cares :)

[meowomon]

3. I'm Old Too

Because my cell is a "pay as you go, emergency, in case I have a flat tire on the way to work phone" And I remember disco.

[On the Road]

4. As a Telco Employee Who Studies Line Loss,

I have to disagree with this statement:

"The number of people who have dropped their landlines in favor of cell phones isn't really all that large. The problem is, that number is growing like crazy."

It is no longer a small number. And you have to add to it customers who move and simply never order local phone service. A lot of the line losses are from fewer new connects rather than more disconnects.

[SteppingRazor]

5. I just recently left my 20s behind me, and not only do I not have a landline...

I can't think of a single one of my friends that has one. Once you get a cell phone and a cable modem, land lines are worst than useless. They serve only as a hotline for telemarketers. Sort of like how the U.S. Postal Service is now just a conduit for junk mail.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. for example, students

I don't know many students with landlines - only at their mom and dads?

What's the student vote doing with Clinton vs Obama