OPINION:
If political polls are supposed to provide clarity for voters, they’re doing a lousy job. In fact, the word that comes to mind for me and many others when we think of these polls is “confusion.” I wonder about the legitimacy of the polling process, for example, and the fact that there are at least 35 polling organizations.
Who really believes that after four years of failed policies and a rating by the public as the worse vice president in modern history, Kamala Harris suddenly has half the country behind her? I think about the 1948 Thomas Dewey-vs.-Harry Truman election. There were only three polling organizations, and all had Dewey winning by large margins. Yet Dewey lost by large margins; there were 303 electoral votes for Truman and just 189 for Dewey. This should serve as a reminder of the misleading nature of polls.
I recently took an online poll out of curiosity. I put down that I am an African American male and am affiliated with the Republican Party. Guess what? The polling was terminated. I returned a few minutes later and put myself down as a Democrat — and the polling process continued. This poll never indicated backing by any political party. I guess this was my Amazon Alexa moment.
These election-cycle polls are not about seeking individual opinions; they’re about shaping narratives. They avoid crucial topics such as Title IX and instead focus on questions that foster polarization, division and deception. Could our TV news outlets be using these deceptive numbers to keep viewers engaged? (If they are, it’s not working, because it’s football season so I have cut back on my political news watching.)
Let’s take a moment to reflect on the time since President Biden bowed out of the race. It should be clear to anyone that the polls do not reflect reality. They are not just inaccurate; they’re insulting. They suggest that voters are oblivious to the impacts of the current administration and that the sheer volume of polls will somehow trick everyone into believing a false narrative.
If the polls were accurate, they would show an overwhelming opposition to the Democrats.
GREG RALEIGH
Washington
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