BS: Would you answer this question?

Subject: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: frogprince
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 02:52 PM

I'm being very literal here, not trolling for personal info. I've answered the phone once yesterday, and once today, for pollsters from some organization. They were very direct and to the point:
   "Hello, I'm ____ from ____?___ ; just a couple of questions. Did you vote for George W. Bush?"
   Personally, I just hung up the phone. Would you have felt like answering that question, out of the blue, to god-knows who, on the phone? How would you feel about it?

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Janie
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 02:59 PM

Nope.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 03:01 PM

I would not answer that question. It's questionable whether I would even answer the phone. Caller ID saves a lot of hassle.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 03:07 PM

My stock answer is that I do not supply information to phone surveys and if they would like to submit questions in writing I will consider.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 03:22 PM

My response would be (and has been), "It's none of your goddamned business who I did or didn't vote for." This is followed by a hangup.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 03:24 PM

I'd say, "Yes I did", just to see what kind of shit-storm would result.

Being that I'm a Canadian and all....

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 03:55 PM

LOL! Excellent idea there, Clinton.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 03:58 PM

I say, No. If they follow up on it, I say more, as concisely as I can. I figure that they will report 'sound bites'.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:09 PM

"Si, Senór...3 times"

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: kendall
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:12 PM

George who?

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Don Firth
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:14 PM

"Who wants to know? And why?"

But I wouldn't answer the question unless the surveyor supplied some pretty damned good information. And maybe not even then. Nobody's freakin' business.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: MMario
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:18 PM

I always thought the whole point of having secret ballots was so that a voter didn't have to answer questions like that?

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: bobad
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:29 PM

Maybe the next question was going to be, "would you vote for him again if you could."

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:34 PM

No reputable political organization would ask such a question. Asking who you plan on voting for before the election is one thing, but who you actually voted for is nobody's business. If someone has a legitimate interest, the numbers are part of the public record. The calls are obviously being made by shit-stirrers of one stripe or the other.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 04:56 PM

I don't think much of phone solicitations, but I like political surveys. I think it gives me a chance to speak my piece. I don't like except for the pseudo-surveys that are laid out to trick you into giving them the answers they want you to give - those are just thinly-disguised advertising.
I used to say that I had never voted for a Republican - but now we have a Congressman (Doolittle) I dislike so much, that I vote in the Republican primary for anybody who will run against him.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 05:14 PM

Exactly, Joe. If the phone rang and someone asked, Do you use Dove soap? I'd say that I don't participate in marketing surveys. Political questions, however, I will always answer, even though I am aware that it's usually a candidate's sponsor that is calling. I figure that if my answer, combined with others of like stripe, keeps a potential candidate from running or conversely, encourages another candidate to run, more power to them.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 05:16 PM

Incidentally, I don't recall ever being asked Did I vote for someone. I think it has always been before an election that people call, in these parts.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: number 6
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 05:17 PM

If I got that phone call ... I'd have to say you got the wrong, wrong number pal (living in Canada) .... but then I could take it as a crank call from Bobert.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 05:59 PM

I'd tell them I'd kill the bastard first.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 07:18 PM

Whoops! Richard, if you were in this country that might not be smart.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 07:44 PM

Whenever political pollsters call me with questions about voting, I always tell them I vote early and often.

If I were to be asked "Did/would you vote for..."

I would ask how many pesos was a vote was going for in this race, and decide accordingly.

This usually stuns them into silence, which makes me feel like I've won.

What exactly, I don't really know. But it is truly a victorious feeling. Try it sometime.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 07:46 PM

Well, taking frogprinces first question litereraly, then I have to say yes, I would, by making this post. But do I answer telephone polls and marketing surveys? Depends on my mood etc, how far I lead them along before they get ranted at....

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 07:54 PM

I respond
"Please put me on your do-not-call list."

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: gnu
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 08:24 PM

No.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 09:11 PM

I rather assume the idea is to get a picture of what proportion of Americans now say they voted for George Buish, and compare it with the actual figures from the election.

This kind of exercise in other cases - for example Margaret Thatcher - has shown that once a politician gets unpopular, very large numbers of previous supporters prefer to say they never voted for them, and very probably in many cases actually believe it. Memory can play strange stricks.

I think it is pretty safe to predict that this would be the case with George Bush.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Musique174
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 09:30 PM

I'm kinda torn on the subject. Being an outspoken person, I would love my opinion to be known, especially when its against the Bastard we unfortunatly have to call president for now... sorry was that outloud... But at the same time, I find that most of those "research surveys" go no where, so whats the point. Its all a squewed look at what they want to believe is the current society, all the while using only demographics they think will get them the resultd they wanted. So With out actually letting us vote again, there is no use or need for such a survey.

ITs really frustrating when they call and immediatly ask to speak to my parents as if I'm not of voting age or my vote doesn't count. Espectially since I haven't lived with my parents in 6 years. But thats idiot pollers for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 09:36 PM

I've refused to answer any surveys after being led circular-fashion through a series of loaded questions by one woman who wanted, through a process of selecting the next question according to each answer, to corner me into justifying my first answer if x + y + z were true in my answers in the middle of the survey. I told her they didn't add up and I didn't appreciate their loaded binaries and I wasn't going to justify anything to her--and I don't answer surveys any more. They didn't really want to know what I thought, they wanted to convince me that something else was actually The Truth. This was a one-on-one sales pitch for a political party that shall remain nameless, but the first initial is "Republican."

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 09:37 PM

You must have a young voice, Musique. That's not a bad thing.

Phone polls are a rotten way of carryng out research. And a very suspect one at that. Any cold call of any sort gets the same treatment from me - a polite goodbye, and the phone goes down. It must be a rotten job doing that stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 11:13 PM

Yes, I'd answer it. I'd be pleased to tell anybody that, as a registered Republican, I think Bush is the worst thing to happen to the Republicans--and the country--possibly the world--in my lifetime. And I'd quiz the poll-taker within an inch of his( or her) life--what organization he represents, their phone number, full name of the caller--and I'd call immediately to see that it was correct--unless it was not toll-free.

Taking the positive view of this, it might be a survey to primarily to see if former Bush voters would still now support him "if the election were held today" (always a worthless question, unless you're given the opponent)--in order to gauge just how far he has fallen.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 11:38 PM

Most real pollsters will start with something along the lines as "Hi, I'm with the Pew Research Group and we are conducting a political survey. It will take about 5 minutes. Will you participate?"

If it comes at you as simply "Did you vote for Bush?" then it's someone who isn't conducting a survey but marketing an agenda, you know, like a pesky sales call... These folks have become so slick in their marketing that most folks willin' to stay on the line for a couple minutes will have had dozens of phrases thrown at them that are intended to shape their opinions....

I kinda enjoy these calls 'cause I can hear the messages in their questions... The sad part is that a lot of folks are clueless that they are being brainwashed... They think they are just offering their opinions....

Very slick stuff here...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 06:08 AM

I am reminded of a lady and her clipboard who thought she had a question that if she asked loudly enough in the street, would ensure that no one could ignore stopping and being part of her survey.

The question was - Do you use underarm deoderant?

Not many souls were brave enough to answer no in public - and walk on.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 09:05 AM

I've been called on several polls. I think they don't like me, because I usually answer "I'd need more information" or "I don't give out that information" or "I fail to see the relevancy of that question."

I have also been known to drive telemarketers to distraction and/or suicide by using elliptical reasoning. "But if I have a brick house, why would I want aluminum siding? Oh, wait, can you put brick over the aluminum siding we do have? There's some aluminum siding under the eaves and I like to have it...hello? Hello?"

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 10:53 AM

My ex is far more patient--and devious--than I am. He lets them rattle out their entire spiel before telling them "no thanks."

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 01:18 PM

I like the calls you get when they ask you to confirm who you are by asking for you date of birth etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 02:28 PM

I've recently got into the habit of telling telemarketers that I'm really busy but will call them back and then hanging up.... no one yet has called me back.....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: autolycus
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 03:13 PM

Agree with MMario. Our ancestors struggled to get ballots made secret for a good reason. Or two.

Howabout making a filibuster to the above effect to the phoner until they despair. Or deliver an academic diatribe rather than a political one.

LtS's is good.

I seem to remember someone devised a vast list of questions to put to someone phoning like that - see how they like it.


   Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: rock chick
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 05:21 PM

Never. I refuse to give any information out over the phone, it none of their business how you HAVE voted, we get the canvasser's at the door before voting and even then I tell them it my business and no ones else's. I am always polite though to them after all they are just doing a job, and normally the telephone are young kids trying to earn a few quid.

rc

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 06:38 PM

But the way that that people will forget that they voted fopr some

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Alice
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 06:56 PM

I am one of the people who is contacted by Zogby for political surveys. I get them by email. I don't usually answer phone surveys.
Zogby does usually ask, with multiple choice, who did I vote for in the last presidential election. "Decline to answer" is one of
the choices. It is useful information when put together with the other kinds of questions asked regarding the war, health care, etc.

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 06:57 PM

On principle, absolutely NEVER would I tell anyone who I voted for in any election. I suspect that some close friends may have suspicions, since I'm not too reticent about expressing opinions; but even they have no business asking and will be treated "rudely in proportion to the depth of our friendship" should then ask.

I have been called recently by a couple of "survey" takers on non-political surveys, and having lots of opinions I allowed a couple to proceed with their questions. In both recent cases - surveys by local TV stations - their "survey" has been terminated without completion since they asked no questions that had valid answers conforming to my opinions.

Their method: If "X" press "1," if "Y" press "2" is fundamentally flawed if they do not offer a choice "If not applicable press #$!*." An alternative would be "If your opinion is that this is a stupid question press 666."

I'll be much less likely to respond to any future such local surveys, at least for a while; although there are times when even I get bored enough to be tempted to play games.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 07:49 PM

Maybe the real question should be "Would your answer to this question be accurate?"

The difference, which has repeatedly been observed, between the way people say they voted and the way they actually did vote is an interesting phenomenon. Does it happen because they misremember, or because they get embarrassed to have voted for a winner they subsequently came to dislike, or for a candidate who went on to lose.

Equally interesting is the way that so many people seem to assume that any questions around stuff like that have to be part of some party political agenda, rather than being genuine research. That says quite a lot about a political culture. (And if it is a true assumption it says even more.)

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 01:32 AM

Answering a poll question is very much like voting, except in a different context. Why should you be for one and against the other?

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: frogprince
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 11:01 AM

"Answering a poll question is very much like voting, except in a different context. Why should you be for one and against the other?"

In one sense, I guess I was looking for my own answer, non-rhetorically, to just that question. Some of the reactions here which echoed my own:
"I always thought the whole point of having secret ballots was so that a voter didn't have to answer questions like that?"
                                                Mmario
and
"No reputable political organization would ask such a question"
                               Bee-dubya-ell

Thanks for your thoughts so far; any more are still welcome.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 09:29 PM

"No reputable political organization would ask such a question"

What is "a reputable politcal organisation"? And where are they to be found?

But anyone seriously researching the process of elections and politics in a what is generally referred to as a democratic system might quite properly ask the question.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 05:34 AM

Liz, it doesn't work. I'm registered with the telephone preference service but that doesn't stop calls from outside the UK. They often ask for my husband by name, so that involves staying on the line long enough to find out who they are, in case its something he would want to answer.
But when I say he's busy they often ring back later.

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Alice
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 10:34 AM

Reputable survey companies DO ask this question. We want to know about approval ratings and such things, and that information is part of data collection. The important thing to know is, "who's asking".

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 02:06 PM

Phone surveys are by definition skewed. They automatically exclude all those people who don't respond to cold callers of any kind, except by putting the phone down. Anybody with an ounce of sense, in other words...

Subject: RE: BS: Would you answer this question?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 03:08 PM

I'm amazed there are actually some people who post at Mudcat who believe in keeping their political opinions private.