Why are partisan pollsters on Democrat and Republican payrolls allowed to serve as media pundits, too? How did that happen? After all, they can make no claim of impartiality based on credible research. They are campaign or party spokespeople, nothing more, and they should be introduced by the media as such. Imagine using separate Bear and Bull analysts paid by outside interests to report the daily stock market results.
Yes, of course, candidates need their own pollsters who, it can be assumed, actually tell them the truth about the numbers in private. And yes, campaigns need to dissect the numbers to make their best argument and deliver their best defense. However, there was a day when pollsters from Gallup, Harris, Roper or Yankelovich appeared on the media to provide us with objective, unvarinished news that we interpreted for ourselves.
"Oh sure, Lou, some of our numbers show us down by 25 percentage points. It was actually 24 points last week. But that's not really the way to look at it. It's very clear we're closing the gap. You know, there was five percent growth in turnout among young-women voters during the last election cycle. Our numbers now show that single, white, vegetarian women between the ages of 20 and 21 who are lapsed Lutherans are now crossing over to our side - in droves! To be totally honest, we're very encouraged by these trends. This is a campaign about jobs, education and the future and it seems that our message is starting to resonate with the American people."
Time for a commercial break.
Yes, of course, candidates need their own pollsters who, it can be assumed, actually tell them the truth about the numbers in private. And yes, campaigns need to dissect the numbers to make their best argument and deliver their best defense. However, there was a day when pollsters from Gallup, Harris, Roper or Yankelovich appeared on the media to provide us with objective, unvarinished news that we interpreted for ourselves.
"Oh sure, Lou, some of our numbers show us down by 25 percentage points. It was actually 24 points last week. But that's not really the way to look at it. It's very clear we're closing the gap. You know, there was five percent growth in turnout among young-women voters during the last election cycle. Our numbers now show that single, white, vegetarian women between the ages of 20 and 21 who are lapsed Lutherans are now crossing over to our side - in droves! To be totally honest, we're very encouraged by these trends. This is a campaign about jobs, education and the future and it seems that our message is starting to resonate with the American people."
Time for a commercial break.