Why Does the Gallup Poll Keep Stalking Me???

Maybe this will give you insights into what is really going on in these polls--I haven't sat down and thought this out after the last call about 6 p.m. last night. But I think there could be some real "analysis" meat here.

I was first polled by Gallup in April (after 58 years on planet Earth waiting for their call!!). I posted that here at the time. Note that each time these calls come my caller ID says "Gallup" and the number is from Nebraska (which is thier operations center)- so it isn't crank calls.

Regarding that first one: we had just walked into the door and found our basement was flooding. Phone rang. Husband said "Not interested in buying anything" and hung up. In the middle of telling me it was from "Gallup Poll", the phone rang again. I answered. The guy explained this was not a sales call but a pollster, blah, blah. I agreed to be interviewed. (Had to lock myself in the bathroom because husband was going nuts trying to get me to hang up so that he could call a plummer!). They asked how many people over 18 were in the house, etc. Then they asked if I was the over-18 person who had the most recent birthday in the residence because they had to speak that person to make it "random" (I thought it odd that when they wanted "random" they called back on someone who had hung up on them - seems that kind of destroys the random thing right there). I lied. My hubby's b-day would have been last but I wanted to answer the questions. When the results came out several days later I could tell that I was one of the 'lunatic' fringe who didn't think that George was God. He was riding high at that time. Then time passed

I didn't expect another call from Gallup for approximately another 58 years because they are doing all this "randomly"...right?? And I didn't hear from them for 4 months. Then starting in September I started to get called by them on one thing or another on virtually a daily basis. Sometimes it was politics. But it has branched out into all sorts of consumer stuff with last night asking me "what I drink"-----I should have replied: Why don't you ask Bush that question!!?

In other words---how can I explain this--something smells. If this is what they are doing to others, then they simply are going after warm bodies who they know will talk to them. They should be calling and calling at random until they get someone to talk to them and then repeat the procedure. They shouldn't sit there with a list of "sure hits" who will get their job done quicker and less expensively!!! BUT--one observation: if this is how they are conducting it, then a shitpot of people who were interviewed with me in April and around there who were just wild about our warrior king must be waking up. However, I would be more interested in what real "random sampling" shows.

and have repeated it to those who continually quote Gallup Polls. I ask them how is this random polling when Gallup asks those they call if they can be put on a list to be called again. They obviously have you pegged as anti-Bush and they need your opinion to balance out their obviously rigged polls. It's a very good example to bring up and it sure does shut the pieholes of those who live by their polling techniques. :D

numbers and the next time they call, you say, I have a list of 500 here who would LOVE to be polled. Here is the names and numbers. They will be waiting for your call. :)

get an unlisted number.

n/t

Gallup and Rumsfeld were roommates in college. Did you ever hear this?

after I posted that initial encounter who had worked in the past for Gallup. They said that it had been sold and that the new "owners" were really sloppy in their polling methods and didn't care. When I see that Gallup (and a lot of them) are not just "alone" anymore but are always hooked up with some news source (like Gallup is, I believe, CNN/USA Today), I keep wondering about what that person said. In other words, does the mission become serving those masters and not accurate polling?? (guess I don't have to answer that dumb question---how stupid could I be).

It gave me great pleasure (and my daughter no end of glee) to announce that I would sooner stick burning spears in my eyes than vote for GW Bush.