Don't Complain About Poll Results If You Refuse To Take Part

While most know me for broadcasting nightly over on Twitch (twitch.tv/fredcasden) that is not all I do, as my day job is in the realm of a Market Research Interviewer. In that role, it is my job to interview people for various different types of projects, it could be something like customer service about a business, giving feedback on area hospitals, or getting thoughts on issues pertaining to politics. It is that last one which is the topic of this particular rant.

Now I know most people hate getting telephone calls to do a survey, because depending on which side of the political spectrum you consider yourself to be, sometimes the questions can come across as being slanted. Can surveys be a little long, they vary in length, but typically they end up being about 20 minutes, and I know, there are things one would rather do than answer questions for even that length of time, particularly if there are statements being made for or against people in or running for a particular office.

However, when you factor in that number of polls results that published on major news websites, universities and are featured on news channels such as Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN... and on top of that we at this time have President who either bragging or complaining about the results of polls, depending on what the results are which carries over to the average citizens that either support or oppose him, it seems that taking part in political polls is carrying more weight now than it did a few years.

Which brings me to the 'title' of my rant here, and I'm not just saying because of my current profession, I'm saying it as an American who sees the poll results, and I actually wonder how many people are complaining about the results were asked to participate but did not, regardless of their party affiliation. Or how many responses were thrown out because someone did not like the line of questioning when there answer choices that reflect exactly that. You see, to ensure that the polls you see on your favorite news site or news channel are fair, that they are representative of how you think or feel, taking part in when invited too helps... and it cuts down on disputing the results.

Plus more often than not, doing a political poll gives you an idea of what both sides are saying, and if you haven't even thought about an upcoming election, it's way to get some information to give you some consideration over the major players are on the ballot. Yes, I do run into those folks who say they are just going straight Republican or Democrat, but considering most polls are also looking to see how people react to current events or issues, or to see how they view the typical political mudslinging that happens in general elections.

So with all that said, don't complain the next time your see the results for a poll when you could've taken part!