Campaign 2008
Posted: 9/8/08
McCain Ahead in Polls! CNN Reports Differently
September 8, 2008
by Diane W. Collins
dcollins@marketingweb.com
Fantastic day for John McCain and Sarah Palin! The USA Today/Gallup poll shows McCain had an 11 point surge since his last report. This means he not only caught up to Obama but now McCain has a four point lead over the Democrats, according to Gallup.
However, that's not how CNN sees it. They are reporting that McCain and Obama are "tied." That's interesting to me. You see, CNN creates their own polls. The one that is suppose to make them appear "balanced" is called the "CNN Poll of Polls" and is reported by Bill Schneider. According to CNNPolitics.com, "...CNN Poll of Polls is an average of the following four surveys: CNN/Opinion Research Corporation..., AP-IPSOS..., USA Today/Gallup..., and Gallup tracking ...". The CNN Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.
Look. Reporting a four point lead or a dead tie right now is pretty close to "not that reliable" or important. Bill Schneider admits that as well. (If you actually take into account the margin of error the difference may be greater.) However, what it does show is that CNN chooses to err on the Left.
Here's a little background on polls in general. Polls are made up of surveys and analysis. The results are based on the questions the party conducting the poll chooses to ask and the weight each question is given in the analysis. In other words, statistical analysis can be manipulated to produce a particular result. I am not accusing anyone of doing this. I am just stating it can be done.
These things are important as we continue to watch the media and its reporting of the 2008 Presidential Campaign. One thing is for sure. Four points will make a difference on election day! Anyway, I'm going with the USA Today/Gallup Poll! Because just like everyone else, it tells me what I want to hear.
Sarah... Sarah... Sarah!!!
Further Reading: