>>I was called by a pollster last night. The questions surprised me. Not once was I asked who I would vote for or if I had voted. Yet the purpose of the poll was determine who I would vote for. At the end of the poll, I asked the fellow how could he tell who I would vote when that question was never asked. He informed me that they could tell by how I answered the questions. I wonder...
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>>A sample (some of them I wrote down because they were so unusual):
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>>1. Are you more concerned about terrorism or the economy?
>>2. Which candidate would you invite over to your house for dinner?
>>3. Which candidate speaks more from the heart?
>>4. Do you think the money spent on the war in Iraq would be better served at home in the U.S.?
>>5. Do you think large corporations make too much money?
>>6. Do you think the U.S. welcomes immigrants from other countries and provides a chance for economic success?
>>7. If you or a family member gets sick, is it your fault?
>>8. Do you think healthcare should be available to everyone?
>>9. Do you pay too many taxes?
>>10. Do you think the government should protect those who cannot protect themselves?
>>11. Do you think the U.S. is viewed favorably by other countries?
>>12. Do you own a gun?
>>13. How much education do you have (a. no college b. some college c. a college degree)
>>14. Do you drink? If so how much and how frequently (a. daily b. one drink a week c. several drinks a week)
>>15. If you drink, do you (a. drink beer b. drink wine...)
>>16. Do you think too many soldiers died or were injured in Iraq?
>>17. When you hear Obama speak, do you feel: (a. relaxed b. worried c. excited)
>>18. when you hear McCain speak, do you feel: (a. relaxed b. worried c. excited)
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>>Now, which questions do you think suggest Obama? Which ones McCain? Most questions were similar to those above. I know how I answered, but I'm not sure it's an accurate reflection of how I voted.
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>>Update (I meant to post this under politics - don't know how it ended up in news section)

My cousin has a neat trick. He asks them how long the survey is going to last. Usually the person taking the survey is going to give you less that what it really takes.

So if the person taking the survey says to my cousin "5 minutes" he tell them. "Ok I'll give you 6 minutes" If it's not finished after 6 minutes he hangs up.

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>>Whenever I asked for clarification on a question such as: "What do you mean by 'protect?" the pollster said he couldn't add to any question; he had to ask the question the way it was written.
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>You really wrote down all those questions while you were on the phone?
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>IAC you have more patience with cold calls on the phone than I am. I just ask them how much they're paying, and that's the end of it.