We’ve often noted here that when partisans (of both sides) see a poll they don’t like about their candidate, they sometimes will talk about how the methodology of the poll was wrong. And usually the partisans don’t see the same problem with polls that favor their candidates.
The issue of methodology and whether political preferences may influence how polling is used burst upon the Internet recently with some questions raised about the site Real Clear Politics (which we link to often here on TMV).
The issue of methodology, polling and perceived biases is an interesting one. And here is a MUST-READ discussion of it.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.