Pennacchio on Polling

Saw this up on PoliticsPa. Not where the actual statement is at. (It's not on Chuck2006.com

On Monday, March 27th, three pollsters, Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Dr. Berwood Yost, and Dr. Christopher Borick, took the unusual step of sending a press release objecting to Chuck's characterization of their polling on Pennsylvania’s US Senate campaign as biased, as electioneering, and as push polling. We have taken our time to assemble the evidence on which these complaints were based, and solicit advice from statisticians. All evidence may now be viewed on our website at: http://www.chuck2006.com/info.asp?CONTENT=pollsters. We urge members of the press to examine our response.

The page shows that the Keystone Poll changed its polling practices in November of 2005, the first poll in which Chuck was included. Keystone polled Chuck differently than every other candidate surveyed in the November poll, and in prior polls. Dr. Madonna, who was asked by several parties about criteria for inclusion, either declined to supply criteria, or stated criteria which Keystone had already violated.

The page also shows that the Muhlenberg Poll conducted a survey that again selected two candidates for different treatment than the rest of the field.

The page sets forth attempts by our campaign to contact the Quinnipiac Polling Institute to learn why it has not polled on our candidate, and to ascertain its criteria for inclusion. We’ve never received a reply from that organization.

Finally, the page discusses the terminology that should apply to these polls, the effect they have on campaigns, and why we believe that the polling techniques used in some sections of these polls constitute electioneering.

Our campaign wants to go on record as saying that, in general, we really admire the public opinion research these organizations provide, and have cited their studies repeatedly to show what Pennsylvanians are thinking. But there is a problem here, and we sincerely urge these gentlemen to address it.

This is one of the reasons why I generally don't like polling. I think sometimes it's as much an art as it is a science. Everyone has their own opinions, and the quality of the question makes a difference.

Yeah, I know, the next post down is all about the latest Zogby poll. But I hold my nose as a service to you, faithful readers. ;)