The Pollsters

The Pollsters is now twice a week! You may not be able to stop Donald Trump, but you are able to encourage us to change our format. We’ve gone from Super Tuesday to Walking Dead Wednesday--we’re running on fumes, folks. Sorry!   Super Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday NYT has the best way to look at the exit poll data. Pay attention, data viz folks! Dems & GOP. From the Way Back Machine of last week: B...

It's our first move into our new twice/week format, with our interview with John Aristotle Phillips of Predictit. We dig into the world of political predictive markets, and talk about John's career building voter technology, and his early start into politics.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The polls have closed, and the responses are in: 39% want a longer show that combines interviews with our regular briefing & 52% want a sep show for the interview. and 9% said “fewer interviews, bah humbug!” So--you’ve spoken! And we’re listening. So starting next week we’ll have two episodes a week: one with interviews & one without.   Number of the week: Is feminism anti-men. Sadly, some...

Listeners! We have a question. Well, actually a survey. We have so many wonderful interviews queued up. But sometimes the interviews get a little long. Do you want them integrated into longer regular weekly episodes? Or as standalone episodes, meaning shorter episodes twice a week? Take our Twitter poll: @thepollsters.     Poll of the week: Now Fear This! Now that people are coming to terms with a...

With New Hampshire in our rear-view mirror, Pollsters, take a bow. And then take a moment to write a review on iTunes, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.   In New Hampshire, the winner is: Pollsters! The pollsters were right this time around. Are you surprised? We’re not! Decision-Desk HQ Final exit polls Joe Lenski from Edison Huffington Post/Pollster trends   We’re all news junkies now Pew say...

We made it to our 50th episode! If you like what we’re doing, don’t forget to write a review on iTunes, submit our show to NPR’s earbud.fm, or on @thepollsters on Twitter & Facebook.   The polls of the week: Good news/bad news for Trump A day without Trump polling in the news, is like a day without, uh, Trump polling in the news. The Trump effect on federal employees Bloomberg/Purple on Trump...

Last show till Iowa! It’s like the night or two before Christmas. Are you excited?   Poll of the week: From the department of “correlation doesn’t mean causation” we bring you some good news for moderate drinkers. Gallup on drinking and depression   Iowa. Iowa. Iowa. Sanders has momentum in Iowa. Trump seems to be consolidating. What’s the role of endorsements? Or of ads? One thing pollsters agree...

Don’t forget your micro-assignment: Send us a polling 101 question for our explainer episode.   2016: On the Democratic side, the contest continues to roil. Straight Ace (Metrix). Huffington Post/IA Huffington Post/NH Huffington Post/national Democratic insiders in Politico. DMR/Selzer/Bloomberg poll   GOP side. Not sure the debate changed anything, polling-wise. Although maybe there’s Kasich-ment...

Thanks for the great shoutouts all over the Internet. Next micro-assignment: tweet us or post on our FB page your polling 101 questions for an evergreen explainer episode we’re working on. We're @thepollsters both on Facebook & Twitter.   Poll of the week: Gig this! One fifth of Americans say they’re giggers in some way. Kristen & Margie have their own favorites. Time Magazine Gig poll   2...

Welcome back everyone! Hello Canadian fans! And everyone start looking for Kristen’s new column & web show at The Washington Examiner.   Poll of the week: An Extended Pollster Plan Pew will call 75% cells for 2016! This is big news. Pew announcement on cell phones   2016: Cruz draws Trump out of his shell. Democratic field unchanged. How is the Republican primary like Margie’s Christmas vacati...

Thanks for all the great feedback, gang! Let's all take next week off, but if you’re desperate for more Pollsters, listen to our interview with Chuck Todd (#39).   Poll of the week! May the polls be with you: Just like there is constant Trump polling, there is constant Star Wars polling. That’s as close as Margie’s getting to a movie theater. Star Wars poll on Rotten Tomatoes   2016: With candidat...

We take a deep dive into the world of political handicapping with veteran writer and observer Charlie Cook. We talk about the role of polling in evaluating campaigns, how polling is not like art, and about the future of political journalism.  Cook Political Report National Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks for all your hard work with your Micro-assignments! As a result we have been featured next to mega-hit Serial on the pocketcasts app. Hello, Serial-listeners! To celebrate almost being a legit media property Margie has a surprise, but you’ll have to listen to the show.   Poll of the week: Star Wars How does one prepare for a major nerd event? With polling, obviously. FiveThirtyEight & S...

Micro-assignment time! Like us on Facebook & share a link to the show on your own feeds. Super-easy! These micro-assignments have really helped us grow the show.   Kristen reports from Alaska Is Alaska a hard place to do research? Well, maybe a little easier than when Margie went there 20 years ago. NYT on whether Alaska is hard to poll FiveThirtyEight on Alaska polling   Trump & Muslims S...

Hi all! Great work with all your micro-assignments! Here they are again--they’re all super short: Write a quick review on iTunes or Stitcher. Tweet or share on Facebook the links to the show. You can also link to Soundcloud or Pocketcasts. Submit a recommendation for the show to NPR’s Earbud. FM.   Big number of the week: 41% of Americans trying to lose weight, a new low. Gallup says, good job Ame...

Hi all! Great work with all your micro-assignments! The theme this week is Twitter, so micro-assignment #3 is to tweet out a recommendation to the show with a link. The link is important! You can use this iTunes link, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Pocketcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also RT links from our Twitter feed.   Security  Whether it’s ISIS, the refugee crisis, or racial tensio...

Thanks for all your hard work on your micro-assignments! We shuffle our papers in salute. Here’s micro-assignment #2: Go to NPR’s Earbud. FM & suggest they add us to their list of recommended shows. It’ll only take 60 seconds! The link is here. And if you take a screen shot and send it to us, we’ll give you a shoutout!.   Post-Paris Polling Reuters and others have some early polling suggesting...

You guys are podcast-hipsters! Like the people who did swing dancing before Swingers. Or the people who have been doing paddleboard yoga for years. So we need your help to get more people to listen to our show. We’d love to double, or even triple, the number of listeners by the time 2016 voting begins. Can you help by doing these free 60-second micro-assignments? The first one: write a review on S...

Lots of exciting stuff coming up for The Pollsters! Our first live show at Georgetown Institute of Politics & Public Service. And we have lots of great interviews teed up for the next few weeks. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the action!   The Shark Tank Debate None of the CNBC debate moderators were dubbed “Mr/Ms. Wonderful” after last week’s debate. Rubio, Cruz and maybe Christie...

Don’t forget to write us a review on iTunes or Stitcher (or both!). We also have some fun interviews and events in the works. Make sure to keep up with us on Twitter and Facebook (and Kristen and Margie’s Twitter accounts) so you have all the latest.   Congrats to the all-lady team at Huffington Post/pollster Go team!   2016, GOP Side: Carson now beats Trump nationally. But which candidate has the...

Hello new listeners & subscribers! We love feedback, so don’t forget to write a review on iTunes or Stitcher, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. And our Soundcloud page now has a great archive.   More Dem post-game When is a bump a bump? Clinton won the debate, but not every poll shows her gaining in the vote. Globe/WMUR poll in NH Herald/Franklin Pierce NH NBC/Survey Monkey Huff Post/YouGov...

The Democrats debated! The press seems unified in who they think won. But voters perhaps say something else? And what are the trends in online polling, and all things Canada?   Dem debate post-game Every outlet gives the ribbon to Clinton. But Sanders wins online and in post-debate groups. Fox News/Luntz focus group CNN focus group Sanders gained more twitter followers Sanders gains more google se...

The pollsters are everywhere! We crossed paths at the Institute for Politics at St. Anselm’s in New Hampshire. And we’ve been on the new Meet the Press Daily. Margie will be doing some Dem debate coverage at Huffington Post next week. And Kristen will be on the soon-to-be-different Up with Steve Kornacki. Also don’t forget to write a review on iTunes or Stitcher, or follow us on Twitter or Faceboo...

It’s International Podcast Day! Have you sent out all your cards & gifts? Don’t forget to write us a review on Stitcher or iTunes, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.   2016 Trump has a classy pollster. Meanwhile, slow and Rubio wins the race? Are you ready for some Biden? We take a question from activist Deray McKesson. And Kristen has a new poll showing Republicans agree climate change is h...

Fiorina is on fire while Walker collapses. But the biggest political news this week is not the Presidential race.   Fiorina on fire Fiorina turned in a great performance. That may be necessary, but is it sufficient? And kids want to know: does she live in a castle? And are Biden supporters celebrating this week? Morning Consult poll/debate watchers CNN poll/Dems Bloomberg/Selzer poll/Dems   The Po...