Dear Editor:
In response to Richard Tripp’s letter (Sept. 15) titled “polling issues”, I’d like to answer your questions.
First, if you read or saw the results of the CNN/USA Today poll, you may have seen in small print underneath “Princeton Research”. This is the formal name of what is called the Gallup Opinion polls. I worked as an interviewer there for five years. In that time, I had the opportunity to conduct many nationwide political polls, including the most recent ones regarding President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
Believe it or not, many of the people I talked with over the phone were very favorable towards Clinton. People are called randomly due to a computer logarithm, so the chances of you getting contacted is minimal. Yes, Gallup gives respondents a number of options of answering besides “yes” or “no”.
As for “who checks the quality?” Well, Gallup has been doing this for about 50 years now and have proven they are quite accurate.
In my opinion, these polls are just a sign of the times. The American people as a whole judge the work of the president based on how well they are doing financially. Is this not what the ancient Nephites did towards the end of the Book Of Mormon?
During the later chapters of Helaman, the political and governmental leaders were almost all corrupt and immoral. Did the people stand up and protest? No, because they were wealthy, prideful, and they didn’t care. The only person who did care was the prophet Nephi.
Are we not the same? As long as this nation is prideful and to some extent wealthy, no one cares what the president or other leaders do, just as long as I have “my house”, “my car” and “my boat”.
Only when this nation forsakes these things, will it see its leaders’ corruption and immorality as an important issue.
Nathan Sneddon
Lincoln, Neb.
