Okay, I was reading this Washington Post article about a poll that stated that more lower income workers supported Obama than McCain for a variety of reasons.
Then I got to this line in the article, emphasis mine:
Nearly six in 10 white and black workers said they think undocumented workers take jobs away from those here legally; seven in 10 Hispanics disagreed. (Nearly half of the Hispanic workers interviewed in this poll are not U.S. citizens.)
Hello! Then they can't vote so that makes your whole poll...POINTLESS!
I can understand polling those who are not registered voters, the deadline has not yet passed for them to register. However, including people that can't vote because they are not legal US Citizens? Means the whole statistics for the poll are skewed and wrong since the only people that really matter from an actual election standpoint are those who can vote.
Really sloppy job done by the Washington Post on this one...
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13 comments:
You don't have to be a citizen to contribute to a political campaign (you do have to be a legal permenent alien for Federal campaigns), or to be involved in the process. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of immegrants without citizenship (some on the way to, others not) who still have a stake in the process and the outcome. As long as the poll isn't asking them "which will you vote for" their opinion is still valid.
I disagree, if they can't vote because they are not US citizens then they should not be included in a poll that states:
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama holds a 2 to 1 edge over Republican Sen. John McCain among the nation's low-wage workers...
It's not a lead if they can't vote...It'd be like asking Germany who they'd pick, it has no bearing on the actual election.
You gravitate toward my own feelings, "It's not a lead if they can't vote...It'd be like asking Germany who they'd pick, it has no bearing on the actual election."
The purpose for making a news story out of the polls does have an agenda, to show how the left leaning socialists of Europe want things to turn out and to show how the left leaning socialists in Mexico want things to turn out.
I find it mildly alarming how "fly over" America stands in direct opposition and is mostly ignored because being American, at one time, used to mean being independent from the left leaning socialists of Europe and Mexico. It meant being BETTER because our system actually works and theirs fail in so many areas.
Well said, t. f.
Although I don't quite understand it... I think McCain would do more to help the immigrants than Obama would.
T.F. valid points, my other concern is that what if the Washington Post had not made that little side mention? The impression would have been given that these were actual US citizens who could vote with the rest of the tone of the article.
Which is why I don't believe most of these polls are valid, no matter the supposed scientific formulas they use.
Scientific political polls are often correct.
Most polls are useless, anyway.
Robin, if polls are "so useless" as you say, pray tell why do polls even exist and why do organizations pay big bucks to have polls conducted???
Here's the thorny aspect of these polls: they poll "likely voters." "Likely voters" are people who have voted before. So these polls do not include first time voters.
Normally that's true Truffle, but it appears for this poll they not only polled those who were not registered to vote but those who were not US Citizens.
Roland, the reason polls are done are from a campaign standpoint and a media standpoint. It makes news if you are media doing a poll and if you are a candidate? Chances are if you have paid for a poll you are only going to make it public if it makes you look good.
All these polls do is judge whatever that particular group feels, and in situations like this one? Some of those polled are not going to vote so their opinion has very little real impact on an outcome in November.
Roland Hansen, Polls are done to make a nice little blurb on the nightly news. But basically mean nothing because polls can be skewed to say or mean anything the person paying for it wants it to say.
Even though it seems as though Carty and city council are unpopular, on the local blogs. I am pretty sure that someone could find 100 people to call that absolutely love him and think that council is doing a great job.
Robin and LisaRenee,
Having taught political science classes at the University of Toledo and at Owens Community College, as well as having taught psychology and sociology courses, in which the topic of political and public opinion polling in accordance with the scientific method were a component of the curriculum, I must respectfully disagree with you assessments. I do not disagree, however, with the observation that polls which have been commissioned by vested interested parties may not be released to the public if the results are not favorable to those who have commissioned the poll. Additionally, my comments about polling are applicable only to those polls which use the scientific method.
Ref:
poll, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001 - 2007.
Sheldon R. Gawiser, Ph.D. and G. Evans Witt, 20 Questions A Journalist Shout Ask About Poll Results, National Council on Public Opinion Polls, Third Edition.
Roland,
It is impossible to be able to know for certain how a larger number of people feel based on a small number, hence the reason why all of these polls have a percentage of error. Despite the science, all you know for certain is that particular group polled felt that way. Beyond that, there are so many variables, from how people were selected to how honest they were with their answers and even to how the questions were worded as well as the tone of the interviewer when questioning.
Hence, polling is interesting to discuss, especially for the political junkie in us, but to me it has no true value beyond trying to convince others that they are either in the majority or the minority on a candidate or position.
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