Polling observations

With nothing better to do, I flipped the remote to one of the many news channels. I was on Day 2 of my self-imposed news blackout of state-run media. But, like any other addict, I reached the point where I thought it appropriate to play catch-up and see how the world was spinning.

That was my first mistake.

The very first tidbit of news was the result of a recent national poll that showed the American public overwhelmingly supports a government-run health-care program. Overwhelming!

Now let's get something straight. Politics is a business of incest. Just think about it. For the most part, we discuss politics with those who share a similar philosophy. And, since I tend to discuss issues from the conservative side of the political spectrum, most of my ideas are discussed with those who tend to agree.

So I find myself strangely isolated. If 75 percent of the American public agrees on an issue with which I am strongly opposed, either my friends and I are woefully out of step or you can't believe the polls. With blinders clearly attached, I think the problem is with the polling.

Have you ever been contacted by the New York Times/CBS polling organization? Do you know of anyone who has ever been asked their opinion by these polling experts?

I have not. And that leaves me to believe that perhaps -- just perhaps -- the polls are more wishful thinking than mathematical science.

Let me not be a hypocrite. Had the same poll shown overwhelming opposition to this health-care scheme, I would probably tout it as the best gauge of American attitude on the planet. But it did not.

So the question remains: Are national political polls designed to measure public opinion or sway opinion in one direction or another? I ask this cynical question because too many times polls have proven horribly inaccurate in the end.

I was never an overachiever when it came to math. And that's an understatement. But I have to question how a sampling of 3,000 folk can measure the opinions of 300 million. That is exactly how these polls are conducted.

Back in the dark ages of my political meandering, I conducted a local poll or two. And, would you believe, these samplings proved conclusively just what I wanted them to prove. Lo and behold, I published the findings to nudge the popular thinking. Works every time!

Yes, there is the possibility that I am simply that out of step with the majority mindset. But, there remains this sneaky notion that these polls are designed to reinforce opinion instead of giving precise measurements.

The truth is, I still don't really believe four out of every five dentists agree on anything. And that poll goes way back.