Steve Chapman writes a fine column illustrating the growing problems with political polls. Most interesting is this quote:
"Forty-five percent of the people think Bush’s proposals for reforming accounting go too far or are about right," he noted, "versus 39 percent who say they do not go far enough. Now that’s compared to 39 percent who said they go too far or are about right a month ago, and 43 who said they do not go far enough."Then Rove stopped, realizing he was making his boss look like a human windsock. "Not that we spend a lot of time on these," he assured his listener.
For all the gnashing of teeth over the increasing use of polls, I fail to see too much of a problem. Information is good and while it might scare off the bold move from time to time, does anyone think George Bush or Bill Clinton were bold to begin with? Polling has more of an effect in how to sell your programs in most cases than it does with what one believes.