There's ample opportunity in the design of questions to produce findings that are consistent with a group's general orientation.
Polls have in fact become an extension of public relations.
Lockheed's smart bomb was aimed directly at the White House, and it certainly hit its mark. The bottom line is that when it comes to commissioned polls, whoever pays the piper calls the tune. Paging Mr. Mellman. If you focus on spending on education, the environment, Social Security and defense, you're going to get the opposite results. You go from 60 percent for tax cuts to 67 percent for spending programs.