On Thu, 5 Dec 2002, dennis roberts wrote in part:
> on a totally different matter, what are people's views on even
> allowing polls to be publicly displayed ... within X amount of time
> of the election day? i know it would be nearly impossible to do much
> about this but ... the goal should be to encourage as many people to
> go vote as possible and ... i can't think (generally speaking) that
> poll figures close to the election help that situation ...
I agree with Dennis on this point.
OTOH, you may want to be aware that my attitude toward election polling
is negative to begin with. In general, I refuse to answer such polls,
either beforehand or after I have voted (what they call, I think, "exit
polls"). According to my political understanding, we are supposed to be
casting secret ballots, and on that basis I consider it nobody else's
business how I vote, or intend to vote, or did vote. (Private
conversations among friends and colleagues are of course a different
matter; but polls are NOT private conversations and rather seldom
involve friends and colleagues.)
> even though it might be hard to document in any clear way the impact
> polls have ON how people vote ... we know that polls do affect how
> some % of people vote ...
>
> perhaps it is time for us to think about whether we should allow
> that to continue ...
Indeed.
Cheers! -- DFB (ye olde curmudgeon).
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Donald F. Burrill [EMAIL PROTECTED]
56 Sebbins Pond Drive, Bedford, NH 03110 (603) 626-0816
[was: 184 Nashua Road, Bedford, NH 03110 (603) 471-7128]
.
.
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