Originally Posted by
20 Mile Final
Well, of course a call-in talk show represents "a sample." It's just not a statistically significant sample and, therefore, worthless as a basis of drawing correct conclusions.
The nature of a talk show inherently has a biased database and is in no way a representative sample. For instance, what percentage of Rush Limbaugh's listeners would characterize themselves as "liberals"?
What percentage of Air America Radio listeners would characterize themselves as "conservatives?"
Professional pollsters, those who make a living on trying to ferret out ACCURATE results, know that there is actually a SCIENCE to these sort of things - and call-in talk shows are certainly not scientific.
Not that this is the proper outlet for it or anything, so I'll keep it brief.
Originally Posted by
20 Mile Final
This reminds me of my rightwing extremist mother-in-law, with whom I get into many political discussions. She listens to all these call-in talk shows.
It's statements like this that move to self-define anyone who listens to a left or right leaning talk shows as being an 'extremist' by default. Maybe that is what your saying, maybe it's not, but either way just because a person has a certain political belief and tends to listen to broadcasters who speak to those beliefs that in no way makes them an extremist.
I think the average, intelligent adult realizes when a talk show they are listening to becomes too radical and stops presenting both sides/alternate angles to a story. The media today prides itself in knee-jerk overreactions, it's up to each individual to take it with a grain of salt or look at it as face value.
Anyway, when is the JFK Terminal 3 Doomsday Countdown Clock starting???