It does not have to be so. There are many ways in which the new information environment can enhance rather than worsen public opinion research. Using poll results that fit a story line is not new, but there are so many polls now that it's easy to find one that lends authority to a reporter's or editor's notions. Zogby's findings were used widely and prominently by news organizations, many of whom are well aware of the tenuousness of survey results conducted so quickly on the heels of an important primary. Three network TV broadcasts reported it, as did sixteen cable news programs.
Evidence suggests the latter.
McCain would never hold a significant lead in any South Carolina poll except those taken in the immediate aftermath of his big New Hampshire win. The timing of polls to catch the bounce of a big event has created an unrealistic impression of voter volatility and makes polls look silly to ordinary people. That's particularly true of polls taken during, and just after, the nominating conventions. This year's prize goes to CNN and USA Today for ordering up a one-night Gallup poll after Al Gore's choice of Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate. Similarly, Newsweek and others that polled just after each of the conventions reported dizzying shifts in opinion this year, as the unstable opinions of voters with low conviction were buffeted by news events.