A recent Quinnipiac University presidential poll covering three states — Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania — is so skewed in its sampling that it is meaningless. Yet it gets national coverage.
Let’s look at the data: Florida – 51 percent for Obama, 45 percent for Romney; Ohio – 50 percent for Obama, 44 percent for Romney; and Pennsylvania – 53 percent for Obama, 42 percent for Romney.
The sampling of 1,177 voters in Florida was 36 percent Democratic and only 27 percent Republican. That is a 9 percent difference. The actual state registrations are 40 percent Democratic and 36.1 percent Republican, a 3.9 percent difference.
The Romney camp called the Quinnipiac data “unrealistic.” It certainly is since a survey by the Democratic Policy Polling during the same period showed a virtual tie in Florida, with Obama leading by 48-47 percent among likely voters.
What was all over the TV news that day was Obama pulling ahead in Florida. There was no mention of the skewed sampling.
What kind of a polling company stacks the deck? One with an agenda, that’s who!
Morley Alperstein
Wellington
