Not to honk anybody off on DU, but....

[Greylyn58]

how much does anyone here believe any of the polls saying so and so is the front runner among the candidates? Whether they are Dems or Repugs.

While I tend to watch some CNN and MSNBC, the only TV news-person I trust and watch religiously is Keith Olbermann. However he usually doesn't mention polls all that often, so I can't help think that certain Dems and Repugs are being pushed on us by the MSM every time they show or mention a new result.

What is the opinion of everyone else?

[OlderButWiser]

1. Opinions are like...

...websites. Everybody has one.

[dubeskin]

2. Spot on.

Obama and Hilary ARE being pushed on us, only because they're different, and fairly conservative. Plus, polls can change time after time. Though Hilary might be 20% ahead now, when voting time comes, she might be loosing. Also, it's easier to talk about Hilary/Obama. Not too much about Edwards. Remember, the MSM doesn't report about what it needs too.

[Sapere aude]

3. I don't trust anything calling itself news these days.

[Uben]

4. Does it matter?

My mind is made up. No polls will change that.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. Polls are useless

It's always fun to switch between news shows and see how their polls contradict, or how wildly different two separate people can read statistics. The only true poll is an actiual vote, and nowadays even that is called into question.

[Greylyn58]

15. I tend to agree

I just feel like they can not be trusted.

[depakid]

6. Cheap media polls are meant to influence public opinion

NOT reflect it.

The corporate media has been pushing them on people as if they were Gospel- which they're not- but that doesn't keep DU'ers from jumping to their tune every time one comes out.

You'd think people would be smarter than that....

[NancyBreen]

7. Well said!! n/t

[PATRICK]

16. Their

use is abusive and false and intentionally misleading. The polls themselves need a lot of qualification, scrutiny and context and then we are finally talking about who interprets the tea leaves after the scientific probabilities and qualifiers make you wonder why anyone bothers.

The owners of the company. Their methodology. The performance of their questioners and the sample. The market for which this study is intended. The state of mind in a given time and in the situation of how the interviews are conducted and phrased. Track record of pattern analysis. Bloviating on significance.

The most devastating view of polls is to see the mystery of how people think someone is the "best dressed" because they are in the White House, on TV, regardless in fact of how badly they are dressed. But that is just the tip of amazement. The poll is presented to the consumer as legitimate, as true opinion, as something not to be wondered at, something to stroke the celebrities that stoke the fan based consumers.

At this time the polls are PR pushed to effect the real decision time which has been deliberately shrunk to hurt real decision making. The candidates trying to use this tool, trapped into this false game are not doing anyone any service except those most ruthlessly poised to exploit what is in essence a mass misdirection con game we perpetuate upon ourselves as the sucker class- which sadly includes honest, stupid politicians.

In the end we know we have people who can come to grips with reality and tough issues and then swoon over Arnold. Any false show of order or sanity merely games the public pulse to make sure the public is still entranced.

Now, people "in the know" still glean things from the polls mostly in the same way as they are presented and are disheartened or dismissive. Watching the polls is like taking the blood pressure of a
mark being worked by a grifter all through the early stages of a scam. And watching helplessly hoping in the end they will not succumb. So arrogant and large is this grand lie that lo and behold the people do not always succumb to gross absurdities and dangerous fantasies.

And that is what the election tabulators are for.

[onehandle]

8. Hillary has always been a lot more popular than than the media thinks.

And Obama is an incredibly exceptional human being.

Edwards should be doing better than he is, but Fox News has done him real damage as per their orders from Rove.

Anyway, it's all about names at this point.

[hedgehog]

9. As it happens, my post on this just got eaten, but I think we agree.

Poll A has Hillary leading Obama

Poll B has Obama leading Guilliani

Poll C has Guillianni leading Hillary

I think all we have determined at this point is that Hillary is not going to win every primary. Beyond that, all we are seeing is name recognition and the fact that poll outcomes can be twisted by what questions are asked and who is asked and who does the asking. I'm not sure very many people are even paying attention yet. I can't believe that the ultimate Republican nominee is among the current crop of contenders. Can Guillianni really attract that many voters once he's a little better known?

[stillcool]

10. what a cutey...

great pic! As far as polls go, I'm a hopeless cynic when it comes to the entire political process...all theater, all paid to play and say.

[az chela]

11. I do not believe that Hillary in the front runner,just bullshit

[KT2000]

17. Agree

I do not know anyone who supports her. I have a feeling that the RW has told their people to answer poll questions as Democrats and support Hillary in the poll - or something like that.
I just cannot understand where all this support is coming from.

[Toasterlad]

21. As I've Said Before, I Don't Know a Single Person Who Is Voting For Her

And I know LOTS of Democrats. She's the candidate chosen by the corporate media to best serve their interests.

[B Calm]

23. It's obvious that she's the GOP and Corporate Media's choice to

be the democratic nominee. They know that republicans hate the name Clinton and she will bring out more republican voters to vote in the next election.

[Greylyn58]

24. I tend to believe that

I just don't think she can win. Something about all these polls just bothers me.

Just can't trust any of them.

[Yael]

12. Just look back to what the media was telling us leading up to the 2004 election

and ask yourself how well thats working out for them.

[alfredo]

13. You notice that the Dem race is much more interesting than the GOP.

For that it gets more coverage. Any bias shown is a bias toward a good story.

[AlCzervik]

14. the media was wrong about Kerry during the primaries. I cast my ballot

for the candidate i like the most, last time it was Dean--even after is ginned up fake media meltdown.

[OzarkDem]

18. Its too early

Your average voter isn't paying that much attention to the races at this point; those who are paying some attention haven't made a firm decision. Polls this early aren't too reliable, but its interesting they're being promoted so much in the news media. Does anyone else recall such focus on the presidential primaries this early?

[KoKo]

19. It's very early for polls but they ask questions suited to who pays for the poll.

and given the media crap we have today...which grows worse and worse with each passing year...I have to admit...I'm starting to be skeptical of even the polls ...wondering who they poll..given all the new cell phone users today...and WHAT they ask! :shrug:

I think we do we we can to parse out what we think our Candidate will do to support whatever postiion we have. Without a media who REPORTS...it's hard. And "gut instinct" doesn't always work....so...we just have to dig and dig...and try to WORK HARDER for all that info on who we vote for. :shrug:

[Greylyn58]

20. I have to agree with one of your assertions

Who do these pollsters talk to? That has been one of my questions since all these crazy polls have started being posted. No one has spoken to me. Who are they speaking to and where are these polls being conducted?

[never_get_over_it]

22. I don't pay too much attention to thes polls

I know who I'm voting for and whether or not HE is the front runner won't change my mind. But aren't these polls national polls - and if so - they are nearly meaningless as the nomination will be decided state by state - results of early primaries will most likely affect later ones but at this point what does a national poll really mean.... and I am of the absolute belief that the corporate media is pushing Hillary on us because either they think she will easily lose to a repunk - or she is "conservative" enough for them to live with....