The Marketing of Political Intelligence

Today, the issues relevant to the majority of the people are in the hands of a select few who collect and distribute the data. The results of their “political intelligence” can be spoon fed to the media and published free of charge on the Internet. The question we should all ask ourselves is, can we believe it?  Certainly you can’t argue with numbers but you can and should question the methodology. Say you hear that, 65% of the people surveyed were in favor of a certain issue. Who picked the sample to survey? Who asked the question? How did the pollster asked it? Who interpreted the data? Can data be the result of misdirection or other political strategy? It is easy to take your mind off the economy when there is a perceived danger from terrorism. It is just as easy to blame a prior administration for mistakes that you continue to make.  The next time you are exposed to data from political polls, ask yourself if it is relevant and valid. There are many widely circulated "Intelligence" newsletters from special interest groups and political parties. Don’t believe them because you are fervent about an issue they put forward.  Their motives and yours can be miles apart.  In the case of the Internet, opinions are often gleaned from second hand information. Political players are expert in polluting the media, especially the electronic media with false information and misleading opinion. Pounding the Washington beat and listening to the political operatives is the only way to gather the real method behind this madness.

No mater which candidate you choose to favor with your vote, take the time to question what they have exposed you to.  Is your candidate talking about your issues or their politics? I have spent many years in marketing and advertising. We follow research supplied by reputable firms. Before we ask for an opinion, we set the method by which that information will be obtained. This is not the practice applied to most ten-second television sound bites or Internet blogs. We live in a world where information can be supplied by anyone. Take the time to question it.