# Explain this polling to me

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-polling-to-me/1009241>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [October 26, 2024, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-polling-to-me/1009241 "2024-10-26T04:51:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-polling-to-me/1009241/21 "2024-10-27T04:00:14Z")

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> [@PhillyGuy](#):
>
> However, Gallup no longer polls the horse race directly.

You remember why, I assume. They were among the least accurate in 2012. It was a huge and hugely humiliating fail.

[https://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/gallup-poll-2016-pollsters-214493](https://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/gallup-poll-2016-pollsters-214493)

They can package it as focusing more on issues than on horse races, but yes your point is more likely on target as to why issues over horse races:

> [@PhillyGuy](#):
>
> there is no way to compare survey results to the actual to get a reading on whether Gallup is still a good pollster.

There’s no means on an item like this to give them a grade, to know how accurate or inaccurate they are, like there is in election. They cannot fail anymore.

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