Sleeping Polls #megov #mepolitics #harrytruman
I've had this quote by Truman mulling around my brain all day so I wanted to look it up tonight.
Today I wrote a story about the impact of mobile phones on political polls. It's a so-so story but interesting for those wonkish types. All the chatter about polls drudged up a partial quote from Truman this a.m. and I've been curious about the complete statement so went back to the records.
Here's what Harry S. Truman said about political polls in 1948:
"These polls are like sleeping pills designed to lull the voters into sleeping on election day. You might call them, "sleeping polls."
The same doctor I told you about the other night in Pittsburgh -- the Republican candidate -- keeps handing out these sleeping polls, and some people have been taking them. This doctor keeps telling the people, "Don't worry, take a poll and go to sleep."
But most of the people are not being fooled. They know that sleeping polls are bad for the system. They affect the mind. An overdose could be fatal."
From the book, "Here's Harry"
