Pollster won’t explain exclusion of libertarian from poll, ‘we decide who goes on our questionnaires’
EXCLUSIVE: As a follow-up to the recent Florida governor’s poll, The Global Dispatch contacted the pollster to clarify a few things.
The Quinnipiac University poll shows Charlie Crist ahead of the current governor Rick Scott, but the poll completely ignored third party candidate, libertarian Adrian Wyllie.
Wyllie trended around 10% earlier this year, so trends in polling showed a rise for the libertarian.
Brandon Jones of The Dispatch contacted Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, asking about why Wyllie was excluded from the polling, especially due to the trends from recent polling.
“The answer is: we decide who goes on our questionnaires,” Brown stated.
When pressed further how the team from Quinnipiac University, based in Connecticut, would know who to include or not, how recent polls may have changed, Brown wouldn’t offer any explanation.
“We don’t talk about how we determine who is on our questionnaire,” Brown reaffirmed.
Libertarians were vocal in Virginia as Robert Sarvis polled above the required levels to qualify for debates, but was excluded anyway. Now it’s certain Wyllie and other candidates will be more vocal when pollsters admit “they are selecting” candidates even if that excludes viable candidates.
Why does this remind me of the Deltas being on trial in the movie “Animal House”? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROxvT8KKdFw