2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWhy Do People Keep Posting Primary Poll Results?
Well, it's pretty simple, really. Most of us have a limited view on public opinion, really. We may know the views of friends, acquaintances and people who frequent websites we also visit. Most of us, though, have limited knowledge of what most people are thinking.
I live in Minnesota, for example, and am active in the local DFL Party organization. I have virtually zero knowledge, though, about what people's opinions about the primary races are in Illinois or South Dakota, however, even though they are nearby. I don't talk to people there, and most people, even on DU, don't disclose where they live.
I live in a relatively blue state, but have no idea, really, what Democrats in red states are thinking when it comes to the primary races. Arkansas? Alabama? Texas? Which candidate is likely to get the most delegates to the convention in those states? I have no idea.
That's where polls come in. I can easily go look at the most recent polls in any state for the Democratic Primary elections in those states. Wikipedia has a page that lets you see polling in every state:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statewide_opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries,_2016
Frankly, I don't know when the primaries are in each state, nor how many delegates that state sends to the convention off-hand, so if I'm curious after seeing poll results, I go here:
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/D
I do watch polls. I'm interested in them. I watch trends in polling, too. I can look at poll aggregation sites to check charts that plot poll results over time. This one is my current favorite, but there are others:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_democratic_presidential_nomination-3824.html
Finally, if I'm curious about how accurate polling companies are and have been in the past, I can check that here:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/pollster-ratings/
So, why do people keep posting poll results? Because they represent a glimpse into voter sentiment and decisions. No single poll is enough, either. In order to really have a good idea of what is going on, you have to look at lots of them and watch trends.
I'm glad people are posting poll results. It's helping me see where things are headed, and I like knowing things like that.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)MineralMan
(146,333 posts)But, we're not just interested in waiting to see how they will turn out. Most of us have a deep, abiding interest in politics and want to observe the entire process. We're eagerly waiting to see how the early primaries and caucuses turn out, and how the March 1 Super Tuesday ones do. We're all even more eager to vote next November, and most of us will be up late watching returns until the results are clear.
Polls, though, let us watch the progress of the campaigns and see how things are going for the candidate we support and their opponents. It's politics. That's sort of the favorite thing around DU.
Of course people post poll results. They're fascinating to people who follow politics closely. So DUers post the results here. Why anyone is surprised about that is something I can't understand.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)I also like to see people's creativity in re-writing original headlines.
MineralMan
(146,333 posts)I generally just click right through to the actual polling information, though. I always prefer to draw my own conclusions.
840high
(17,196 posts)polls too early.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)Because they are pushing an agenda.
No more. No less.