Politics

Reporter vs. Governor Poll Shows Dubious Value of Presidential Race Polls Now

May 07, 2015, 12:09 AM by  Alan Stamm

Sometimes clichés fit perfectly. Truth really is stranger than fiction -- that's what we go with for a tale of a politics writer and a governor.

Featured_2_16830
Thiough Paul Egan could use this in a campaign ad, he's not running for public office . . . yet . . . as far as we know. (Facebook photo by Paula Crawford)

Paul Egan of the Free Press tells it Wednesday evening at his Facebook page:

I recently quoted Public Policy Polling Director Tom Jensen, in a story about a possible presidential run by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, as saying about Snyder's 4% favorable rating in Iowa: "If I had polled you for favorability with Iowa Republicans, you would come out with the same number he did."

Apparently Jensen decided to test his theory in PPP's latest poll, in Arizona. He wasn't far off.

Jensen's 14-year-old national survey firm is in Raleigh, N.C., and is for real -- even though the pair of actual questions shown below are an in-joke stunt in the silly season of early 2016 presidential polls. They also show the dubious value of assessing voter preferences 18 months before Election Day 2016.

Related news: Gov. Snyder Won't Run For President, Politico Reports

"That was definitely the high water mark of my short-lived campaign," Egan posts in a comment on his thread.

A sampling of comments there by colleagues and friends:


This is a Facebook comment posted by Dennis Lennox, a Mount Pleasant communications specialist.

► Paul Egan is polling better than Rick Snyder in Arizona. Of course, that's before the negative ads. -- Ron French, Bridge magazine

► "Paul Egan" needs to be an Underwood rival on the next season of House of Cards. -- Matt Friedman, Farmington Hills public relations executive

► Looks like you have a fighting chance, Paul. -- Azlan Ibrahim, Lansing communications strategist

► Franklin Pierce was also a dark horse. -- John Wing

► Egan, For a Better Tomorrow. -- Dan Austin, Free Press (graphic slide)

► Boy, your numbers haven't improved much since high school. -- John Boivin

► Vote for Egan - He'll get that damn bridge built.. -- Steve Spalding


A respected North Carolina polling firm included these questions in a recent political survey of Arizona voters.


Read more:  Facebook


Leave a Comment:

Photo Of The Day