Drudgereport keeps using the highly dubious Zogby Poll to try and reassure Republicans that there is any semblance of closeness or hope for them in this presidential race.
How is Zogby questionable you might ask ?
To begin with, Zogby conducts online surveys whose reliability and methodology is suspect to say the least.
Second, Zogby publishes polling results that are over two weeks old; for example, on 9/30/08, Zogby posted an updated Electoral Map from surveying that took place Sept. 9-12. Oh, and the MoE was over +/- 3.5% !
Gallup’s MoE is +/- 2%.
Oct. 9 Daily Tracking, from Gallup:
The general-election results are based on combined data from Oct. 5-7, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,747 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a landline telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell phone only).
from Zogby's Electoral Map updated 9/30:
Methodology: Zogby International conducted an online survey of 689 likely voters. The poll ran from Sept. 9-12. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percentage points.
When I was 19, I had the good fortune to work for Gallup as a telephone interviewer. Though I only worked on one political survey [I mostly worked on consumer surveys] , I can say that their professionalism and methodology took precedence. There was no room for error or mediocrity.
Their data collection plurality made for accurate surveys, their managers assured excellence, and everyone there was committed to one major goal: complete and thorough work.
Regardless, it seems Zogby only cares about two things: making it onto Drudgereport and manufacturing a close election.
Zogby's "online" survey polling seems to require none of the aforementioned; that is, it's sans quality or reliability.