Skeptics’ Questions of Polling Explained

WASHINGTON (AP) — Why should I believe your poll? It’s a challenge pollsters and news organizations get all the time. And why not — the profusion of polls can be confusing. This week alone, one USA Today-Gallup Poll showed Barack Obama leading John McCain in the presidential race by 3 percentage points and a separate Gallup Poll showed Obama up by 8 This year’s presidential race may produce more skeptics than usual, considering Obama’s bid to become the first African-American president of a nation where racial attitudes can be complex and concealed. Some questions and answers about attempts to read public sentiment: Q: Don’t people lie to pollsters? A: Some do, but pollsters think it’s extremely limited and say people who dislike polls are likelier to refuse to answer them. Historically, more people tell pollsters they engage in socially desirable activities like voting than actually do so, and fewer admit to undesirable acts like using illegal drugs ... (link)