How do you win elections when voters are lying to the polls? (1 Viewer)

[Riversco]

We have likely entered a new era of politics where the electorate has become sophisticated enough to understand that if they tell the truth to pollsters, that can be used as a weapon against them.  Politicians will take the data and craft an agenda to take advantage of them.  So now, they just lie to the polls and vote for who they want.  Almost like double secret voting.  But how does a modern political party operate in this environment?

Take for example the 2016 presidential election.  The democrats lost.  The usual approach is to take some polls, see how voters feel, and field a candidate that represents what they SAY they want.  But that probably won't work anymore.  You can try it, and the voters will lie to you about what they want, and then you go to election day and they do something else entirely all over again.  They just lied to you for another 4 years.

Is there another metric beyond polls you can use to determine what the voters want?

 

[lod001]

Are they lying to the polls or are they simply polling the wrong people. I never was asked for instance. Why? Because I don't answer those calls. Now someone expecting something for free is going to answer EVERY phone call. They think every call could be free $. Yes there are people that stupid. So they didn't get anything for free but t they will answer the polling question and undoubtedly reply with the candidate they think is the one that gives them the best shot at free stuff and that is always a D.

 

[DaVinci]

They could try running on principles instead of pandering.  <_<

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Let's be real here.  The polls were more jacked up than normal this time because there were a lot of people that voted for Trump but were embarrassed to tell anyone at the time.

 

[mquinnjr]

Let's be real here.  The polls were more jacked up than normal this time because there were a lot of people that voted for Trump but were embarrassed to tell anyone at the time.

/thread

 

[MaxThreshold]

Let's be real here.  The polls were more jacked up than normal this time because there were a lot of people that voted for Trump but were embarrassed to tell anyone at the time.

Link?

 

[tonydead]

Trump was gaining ever since the debate after the locker room talk was released.  That alone should tell you something.  I was heavily criticized for just trying to point that out. It was bound to happen. 

 

[Riversco]

Let's be real here.  The polls were more jacked up than normal this time because there were a lot of people that voted for Trump but were embarrassed to tell anyone at the time.

Trust in the media has been in a very long decline.  Its more likely we've hit a breaking point.  I think its gotten so bad that voters no longer trust pollsters enough to even tell them the truth.  I think its here to stay.

 

[Mile High]

Link?

You don't need links to things anymore in America. No one believes them anyway so just make things up. Hell even our new president is doing it. 

 

[Riversco]

They could try running on principles instead of pandering.  <_<

That's what they did in the old days, before FDR.  I think this election marks a return to that.  And then you look at Trump going with direct communication with voters via youtube, completely bypassing the media.  What's next?  Mass emails?  Mass texts to the people on his plans?  Why not?

 

[Class Dismissed]

How close was the actual 2016 electorate to the samples that the pollsters were utilizing when they constructed their polls that consistently gave HRC a significant lead?

Did the polls account for the depressed 2016 turnout displayed by certain key demographics or did they reflect the turnout of 2012 or 2008?

Creating a poll is like making a pot of chili......you can make it taste anyway you want by altering the ingredients. 

 

[kface]

Trust in the media has been in a very long decline.  Its more likely we've hit a breaking point.  I think its gotten so bad that voters no longer trust pollsters enough to even tell them the truth.  I think its here to stay.

This isn't really true.  It's down with republicans, but as can be seen by Trump, a portion of that party isn't interested in facts and things like climate change and evolution.  

http://www.gallup.com/poll/195542/americans-trust-mass-media-sinks-new-low.aspx

 

[James Daulton]

Are they lying to the polls or are they simply polling the wrong people. I never was asked for instance. Why? Because I don't answer those calls. Now someone expecting something for free is going to answer EVERY phone call. They think every call could be free $. Yes there are people that stupid. So they didn't get anything for free but t they will answer the polling question and undoubtedly reply with the candidate they think is the one that gives them the best shot at free stuff and that is always a D.

Oh my god!  Your political insight is remarkable.  Hopefully you're making huge dollars as a political consultant because this kind of razor sharp cause and effect analysis is so rare these days.  I truly thank you for this fantastic post because I feel so much more educated then before I read it.  "People want free stuff and it's always the Dems who give them free stuff."  Wow, I'm truly blown away.  You sir are an impressive intellect to be sure.