# "FL, VA, and NC are Romney for sure. We are no longer polling there." **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321 "2012-10-10T16:16:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/21 "2012-10-11T19:52:44Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Nope, nope, it means a Romney landslide win. Just sit back and enjoy. No need to line up and waste valuable time at the polls. Probably means a “Dewey Defeats Truman” photo-op. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/22 "2012-10-11T20:01:47Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Or cluttering up the SDMB constantly shilling in every election thread. Yes, the SDMB would be ever so much better if those annoying conservatives would just go away and stop ‘cluttering up’ the board with their opinions. An echo chamber works much better when all the doors are closed. ---
**Author:** ![babygoat666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@babygoat666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/babygoat666)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/23 "2012-10-11T20:03:25Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > That would be a seriously hazardous job in a swing state. I would LOVE to have a pollster show up at my gate… so much pent up frustration that I could finally ‘release’. > > I think the first thing I’d do is tie them up with my telephone right next to their ear and force them to answer every single time the phone rings and to answer all those stupid push polls. Then at night, I’d scoot them into the living room and make them watch the local programming that is now about 50% political ads, followed by another full day of 8am to 10pm (yup, 10pm) of more phone calls. I’d keep it up until the cops came and hauled me away because if I get a jury of my peers… they will all be jealous that I managed to get back at one of them. Jesus dude. Why don’t you just hang up on them instead of turning into a crazy person? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/24 "2012-10-11T22:15:11Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Yes, that’s why he listed it first. 😉 Not that bucket. The group of states Romney must win so there’s no need to poll there. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/25 "2012-10-11T23:18:27Z")
Except, there is still a need to poll there. If Romney must win them, and if it should happen to turn out that he isn’t, well, that would be a quite significant piece of information, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/26 "2012-10-11T23:43:51Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Yes, the SDMB would be ever so much better if those annoying conservatives would just go away and stop ‘cluttering up’ the board with their opinions. An echo chamber works much better when all the doors are closed. Oh, I don’t know. We’d be arguing about things like solutions to global warming vs. whether or no global warming exists. Or maybe about the best way to make sure Americans get healthcare vs whether or not Americans should have reasonable healthcare. Or maybe we’d argue about the best way to prevent future terrorist attacks instead of whether to invade a country that had nothing to do with the attacks (Big Dawg!). Maybe a fruitful discussion about fixing the economy might pop up. Your “echo chamber” doesn’t sound so awful. There’s a reason why it’s hard to take American conservatives seriously nowadays; their credibility is at an all time low. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/27 "2012-10-12T00:11:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Except, there is still a need to poll there. If Romney must win them, and if it should happen to turn out that he isn’t, well, that would be a quite significant piece of information, wouldn’t it? I was addressing somebody else who said that might be what they stopped polling there (because Romney must win those or he’ll lose). ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/28 "2012-10-12T00:13:16Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Yes, the SDMB would be ever so much better if those annoying conservatives would just go away and stop ‘cluttering up’ the board with their opinions. An echo chamber works much better when all the doors are closed. It’s sort of telling that the quote said “shilling”, and you changed that to “opinions”. I guess in your books, they are one and the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/29 "2012-10-12T00:29:38Z")
Well, you say “potato” and I say “Irish apple”. Same difference. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/30 "2012-10-12T00:34:27Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > It’s sort of telling that the quote said “shilling”, and you changed that to “opinions”. > > I guess in your books, they are one and the same thing. Maybe you could help me out then: Look at adaher’s posts, and tell me how they are ‘shilling’ for the right as opposed to being just right-wing opinions. If you can give me a reasonable definition that fits adaher’s posts and doesn’t fit the posts of the Democratic supporters here, I’ll retract my statement. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/31 "2012-10-12T00:42:15Z")
Ah! And this contest will be subject to decision based on your absolute impartiality? How very reassuring. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/32 "2012-10-12T01:29:55Z")
Look, he’s right. Sticking up for your political beliefs is presumably fine on a board mostly dedicated to debate and argument. Characterizing adaher’s posts as “shilling” is just a completely false statement. To “shill” is to sell a product or service by pretending to be personally satisfied by it. Presenting your own honest opinion about current events - even if you do it stridently - is not “shilling.” ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/33 "2012-10-12T09:20:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, you say “potato” and I say “Irish apple”. Same difference. You say hunger? I say [positive motivator](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/06/21/46862/cynthia-davis-hunger/). You say tax hike? I say [broadening the base](http://bigfatfinanceblog.com/2010/12/06/deficit-commission-broaden-the-base-slash-the-rates/). You say hunger? I say class warfare. You say tax hike? I say class warfare. Context is important people! ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/34 "2012-10-12T09:57:47Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Maybe you could help me out then: Look at adaher’s posts, and tell me how they are ‘shilling’ for the right as opposed to being just right-wing opinions. If you can give me a reasonable definition that fits adaher’s posts and doesn’t fit the posts of the Democratic supporters here, I’ll retract my statement. Adahar’s posts are not based on reality, sound reasoning or fact. So we are left with a few choices, you can either accuse him of “shilling”, living under a bridge or being a nut-case. (not that the three are mutually exclusive) Shilling is taking the high road. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/35 "2012-10-12T12:51:03Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Adahar’s posts are not based on reality, sound reasoning or fact. But if adaher left, we’d be deprived of deep insights like “I’m not necessarily saying the unemployment figures are fixed. I’m just saying the media would cover up for Obama it if they were.” Odd, that ‘echo chamber’ idea is not sounding so terrible… ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/36 "2012-10-12T14:19:43Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Adahar’s posts are not based on reality, sound reasoning or fact. > > So we are left with a few choices, you can either accuse him of “shilling”, living under a bridge or being a nut-case. (not that the three are mutually exclusive) Sure. In his only post to this thread, **adaher** writes: > [@](#): > > Sounds like they are cutting their polling budget and seeing if they can get publicity for it without saying that’s what they are doing. > > I read somewhere that we have about half the polling this year we had in 2008 due to nearly everyone cutting back on polling budgets. Wow, that’s a pretty flagrant display of shilling for conservativism! I can’t imagine anything more contrary to “reality, sound reasoning or fact” than the proposition that Suffolk is masking budget cuts with a publicity grab. This thread is a really great example of **adaher** ’s infelicity, and I’m a bit sad someone brought it up _here_ before I got a chance to. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/37 "2012-10-12T15:31:53Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Maybe you could help me out then: Look at adaher’s posts, and tell me how they are ‘shilling’ for the right as opposed to being just right-wing opinions. If you can give me a reasonable definition that fits adaher’s posts and doesn’t fit the posts of the Democratic supporters here, I’ll retract my statement. Ha ha. I did not use the term “shilling”, I merely pointed out that you quietly changed it to “opinion”. I’ve been here long enough to know that that would be a pointless exercise. You’d have the “strict dictionary definition” game (thanks **Rickjay** ), followed by the “he didn’t do anything bad in _this particular thread_” game (tip o the hat to \*\*Paranoid Randroid \*\*) Soon to be followed by the “He did nothing illegal, therefore it is perfectly acceptable” Brickerism, and finally the ultimate “It was not his fault, he was driven to it by the dirty hippies and things were better in the 60’s” nail in the coffin. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/38 "2012-10-12T16:18:55Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > …he was driven to it by the dirty hippies … You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/39 "2012-10-12T16:36:05Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > You’d have the “strict dictionary definition” game (thanks **Rickjay** ), followed by the “he didn’t do anything bad in _this particular thread_” game (tip o the hat to **Paranoid Randroid** ) That’s a game? “ **adaher** did nothing objectionable in this particular thread” seems less like a game than a good reason not to whine about him _here_ without looking a bit silly. You can think, man, this place’d be great if all those conservatives would just go away — I mean, look at **adaher** — well, not here, and not in that thread, either — I mean where he mentioned some sympathy for BLS conspiracy theorists. Yeah, that post. Isn’t that guy always shilling?! But it won’t be terribly effective. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321/40 "2012-10-12T17:50:10Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#): > > You can think, man, this place’d be great if all those conservatives would just go away — I mean, look at **adaher** — well, not here, and not in that thread, either — I mean where he mentioned some sympathy for BLS conspiracy theorists. Yeah, that post. Isn’t that guy always shilling?! Wow, you can tell what I think now too? Based on what I did not write or what? Here’s what I actually think - opposing opinions are terrific. They are the life-blood of a board like this. They are welcomed, especially if backed up by facts and cites. What is not particularly useful though, is anyone who simply repeats the latest headline from FOX or the latest talking point being spewed by a politician. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-va-and-nc-are-romney-for-sure-we-are-no-longer-polling-there/637321.md?page=3)