# Those cable news show polls-real cliffhangers! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 28, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591 "2011-07-28T05:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/1 "2011-07-28T05:15:51Z")
I know you know what I’m talking about; the “question” that gets posed on some of the primetime cable news shows at the outset of the programming with the viewers encouraged to text either A or B, with the results announced at the end of the show. I’ll use the “Ed Show” on MSNBC for example. His polls are the epitomy of “no-shit:rolleyes:” polls. “Do you think the Republicans care more about you or about Wallstreet? Text A for yes, text B for no. Results at the end of the show.” Gee, I am waiting on pins and needles at the edge of my seat for the results of that poll. And to absolutely no one’s surprise at all, each and every day the result are of the nature of “94%yes” “6%no”. Now I know these shows are of an ideological, partisan nature but come on. Why bother? What’s the point? It’s stupid, boring, uninformed and so predictable. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/2 "2011-07-28T13:34:41Z")
Last night’s “Daily Show” had a bit making fun of CNN’s use of viewer’s Twitter Tweets on the air. If you think the polls are ridiculous, [check this out](http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/wed-july-27-2011-rachel-weisz). It’s in the second segment, 12 minutes in. (The first 12 minutes are worth watching too, but nothing to do with this thread…) ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/3 "2011-07-28T13:41:55Z")
This reminds of when Lou Dobbs had his show on CNN, he would often ask a question like “Do you think illegal immigrants should be granted amnesty?” When he revealed the results at the end of the show, it would be something like 99 percent no and 1 percent yes. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/4 "2011-07-28T14:38:43Z")
Wait, why do they have to text “yes” or “no” to a non-yes/no question? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/5 "2011-07-28T14:50:34Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > This reminds of when Lou Dobbs had his show on CNN, he would often ask a question like “Do you think illegal immigrants should be granted amnesty?” When he revealed the results at the end of the show, it would be something like 99 percent no and 1 percent yes. I’m also fond of the “wildly excluded middle” polls that sometimes appear on [CNN.com](http://CNN.com)’s “Quick Vote” and elsewhere. Typical example: _Do you think illegal immigrants should be granted amnesty?_ ( ) **Yes** , they should be granted amnesty and awarded $1 million cash, a penthouse apartment, and a new Cadillac. ( ) **No** , they should all be thrown into giant blenders and processed into Chipotle Soylent McNuggets. (As it happens, this poll also came out 99 percent “no” and 1 percent “yes.”) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/6 "2011-07-28T14:57:21Z")
Log on to www.blahblahblah now and tell us what you think. Fuck you. Besides, I’m not logging on: going to, or visiting, yes. But unless I have a username and password, I am in fact not logging on! Drives me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-cable-news-show-polls-real-cliffhangers/590591/7 "2011-07-28T17:02:13Z")
The trend of polls, user tweets, and checking what people have to say on facebook has gotten out of hand. Local news or cable news, how about you guys stop asking me about what I think and try reporting on what has actually happened? Or would that be too much to ask? Did we fire all the actual journalists so we can buy another huge ass touchscreen. Jumpin’ Jesus doesn’t CNN just love the shit out of those things? Look at me while a touch a tv screen! Stop asking and start telling. 'Cause I don’t need you assholes to tell me what is on a twitter feed or facebook page - I can go read it. A poll? Wow, like there aren’t eleventy-billion poorly conceived polls on the internet. My Wii has a whole channel devoted to polls.