I take a somewhat perverse pleasure from participating in opinion polls, should someone conducting one happen to catch me. Recently, the victims of my whimsy were none other than the National Rifle Association. They have a very ingenious, if completely transparent, way of skewing their survey data in a way most folks might not even bother to notice.
"Hi, this is [caller's name], and I'm an NRA member. Would you take a minute to listen to this recorded message from [dude's name], President of the NRA, and then answer a brief survey?"
[dude's recorded message plays; it is an unremittingly negative portrayal of leading democrats' purported "assault" on the 2nd Amendment, absolutely none of which has any factual basis as far as I've been able to tell]
"Hi, this is [someone else], and I'm an member of the NRA. Our survey is just one question: do you think the President is doing the right thing when it comes to protecting our 2nd Amendment rights?"
"I absolutely do. Good try, and have a nice day."
"Hrmf. Thank you."
"Hi, this is [caller's name], and I'm an NRA member. Would you take a minute to listen to this recorded message from [dude's name], President of the NRA, and then answer a brief survey?"
[dude's recorded message plays; it is an unremittingly negative portrayal of leading democrats' purported "assault" on the 2nd Amendment, absolutely none of which has any factual basis as far as I've been able to tell]
"Hi, this is [someone else], and I'm an member of the NRA. Our survey is just one question: do you think the President is doing the right thing when it comes to protecting our 2nd Amendment rights?"
"I absolutely do. Good try, and have a nice day."
"Hrmf. Thank you."