Reverse psychology of opinion polls...

[kentuck]

I am not sure that higher Bush opinion polls are bad for Democrats. No doubt, many Repub Reps and Senators are breathing a sigh of relief by watching Bush's polls climb a little higher. But, they may be experiencing a false sense of security from these polls. There may be something rumbling under the surface that is about ready to sweep them under like a tsunami? Nobody knows. Perhaps it just wishful thinking? But, I'm certain that if the Democrats play their political cards right, many Republicans will be thrown out on their butts in the next election. I am not overly concerned about the polls at this time. Their false confidence just might be their downfall....

[SoCalDem]

1. I never answer polls truthfully..perhaps others do the same

I actually like to mess with them.. I have told phone pollers that I am a republican, just to try and drag down their numbers:)..I always ask what organization is paying them, and if I'm online, a quick google will tell me how I plan to answer their questions..

[Skarbrowe]

2. My main worry is that polls even appearing higher for Bush allows for

the voting machine tabulations to be more easily manipulated. In other words, makes it easier for more elections to be stolen and not be questioned. If Bush's polls and that of many Republicans are way down come election day, it hopefully will be more obvious that it already should have been to most Americans that if a good number of these obviously unpopular Republicans win, that something is very, very wrong with our electronic, no paper trail, no verification whatever, voting system.

We already know this. But, most Americans are just accepting every election as rock solid. If the Republicans can boost the president's poll numbers with help of the bought and paid for media, keep them above 45% or so, all of Rove's secret voters (regardless of whether he is indicted or not) will magically come out in droves late in the voting day. Just like 2004.

[kentuck]

3. And does that have a reverse psychological effect on Democrats?

Because, if the machines are already fixed, why even vote at all. I think this is an area we must tread very carefully.

[Skarbrowe]

6. I will always vote regardless of my suspicions about vote rigged machines.

I do understand what you are saying about Democrats possibly getting too convinced of rigged voting that they don't bother. I certainly hope that doesn't happen. I was just pointing out that if it IS happening, it makes the appearance of higher polls for Republicans ( whether correct or not ) much more of a danger for Democrats that they might have been before this unverifiable voting system was put in place in..well..just about everywhere.

It's that undercurrent of not knowing for sure that we should stay aware of, but not let it make us give up on voting.

[wtmusic]

4. Polls usually help incumbents

because they tend to give challengers false hope, and people get lazy. Polls are our enemy.

I wish I could back this up but I can't. Just a general impression.

[OldCurmudgeon]

5. the apropos phrase...

the apropos phrase is "dead cat bounce".

As in "even a dead cat will bounce if you drop it hard enough".

[kentuck]

7. I hadn't heard that !

A good one!