plunkett@rlgvax.UUCP (Scott Plunkett) (02/27/84)
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Opinion polls it has been noted, may be biased and misleading
in their questioning and sampling. But here is an example that
shows a clearly unfair, unprofessional and tendentious
presentation of the results of a poll.
The much quoted Washington Post/ABC pollsters recently published
the following findings:
(a) That among blacks Mondale holds 43%, Jackson 39%.
The Post however tells us that such a difference is within the
poll's sampling error, and so the candidates should be considered
"neck and neck" for this constituency.
(b) That Reagan "loses among women by 49 to [Mondale's] 46
percent but wins among men by 54 to 41 percent". Upon this 3%
disparity among women is based the so-called "Gender Gap" issue.
Although within sampling error, the Post does not consider this
"neck and neck", even less that Mondale could be in trouble with
women, as "so obviously" the President is.
(c) That Mondale has the support of 41% of men, compared to
54% supporting Reagan. A 13 point lead for the President.
From this we learn the following: That the Post wishes to continue the
preposterous "gender gap" accusation against Reagan, despite the evidence
of it's own polls, and that this "gender gap" is not orthogonal about the
two sexes: Mondale we can be sure will not be whipped for his showing
with men, even though it far exceeds the arguably even numbers for
Reagan and women.
Further notice that you should not pay the slightest bit of attention
to opinion polls.
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..{allegra,seismo}!rlgvax!plunkett