Editorial May 11, 1987 Issue

A matter of opinion—or a cry from the heart?

Allison W. Phinney, Jr.

Opinion polls in the eighties seem to be rapidly becoming a way of life. Most of us are curious to know where others stand. And we enjoy telling others what we think (though not quite so enthusiastically when the phone rings and the voice on the other end says, "Hi, I'm Steve and I'm a computer!").

Some of the liabilities of incessant polling are coming clearer, of course. The early release of information from opinion surveys can apparently sway voters on the way to the election booth. Candidates themselves may tailor their own convictions to fit a constituency. And when do we stop asking what people want to hear and take some responsibility for asking ourselves what they need to hear?

It's true that polls can be a practical tool. The Christian Science Monitor has used such surveys. As a matter of fact, we saw the conclusions of a recent Gallup poll on the Sentinel the other day.

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