Polls are BS, part 583 - or why we should not be convinced that racism will elect John McCain


I can happen to challenge the latest ridiculous poll personally, since I'm on the panel that polling company uses.

This morning a friend sent me a worried email about a recent Yahoo/Associated Press poll that seems to prove that white people are still racist, and this will cost Obama the election.

I'm here participating in the link-bait that is already starting to spread (including on BlogHer) because in this case I have something really personal and specific to say about this survey.

Here's how they describe the methodology employed:
The AP-Yahoo News poll used the unique methodology of Knowledge Networks, a Menlo Park, Calif., firm that interviews people online after randomly selecting and screening them over telephone. Numerous studies have shown that people are more likely to report embarrassing behavior and unpopular opinions when answering questions on a computer rather than talking to a stranger.
Other techniques used in the poll included recording people's responses to black or white faces flashed on a computer screen, asking participants to rate how well certain adjectives apply to blacks, measuring whether people believe blacks' troubles are their own fault, and simply asking people how much they like or dislike blacks.
OK, so some years ago I got a random call, and after spending no more than 10 minutes on the phone with someone, I agreed to be on the Knowledge Networks survey panel.

That was the only phone call, by the way, the first one that got me into their panel. And it was very focused on convincing me why i should do it, and how it would not take too much of my time, but trying to ascertain I would actually take the time to complete surveys. That's the "selecting and screeening" they're talking about up above.

Second point, and this is the big one: Who takes and completes a poll with questions like this?

People who are generally prone to stereotyping entire races as a group, that's who.

I get many surveys from Knowledge Networks that I abandon because they're too long or not interesting, but I also get surveys I abandon because I don't like the entire premise of the survey. I find I can't answer in a way that actually reflects my opinions, so I drop out.

And they can email me three more times begging me to complete the survey, but they can't make me.

So, who on Earth would even go about saying how much single-word adjectives apply to an entire race? People who harbor bigotry already. Self-selection.

And I would recommend that we all combat this ridiculous poll and information in the same way...knowing Democrats we'll use this as fodder for a self-fulfilling doom and gloom prophecy, but in this case, anyway, I can't join in :)

Am I saying there are no racists left in America? No way. I'm just saying they're the only ones who would complete this survey.

Posted: Sat - September 20, 2008 at 07:59 AM       EmailFeedback

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