--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Election polling can be used to help…" description: "\"Election polling can be used to help understand which issues matter to people, which can in turn help us understand why someone gets elected.\" — Harry ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg" --- # Election polling can be used to help understand which… ![“Election polling can be used to help understand which issues matter to people, which can in turn help us understand why someone gets elected.” quote by Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg) > “Election polling can be used to help understand which issues matter to people, which can in turn help us understand why someone gets elected.” [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Polling reveals public priorities, which helps explain electoral outcomes and guide strategy. **In simple terms:** Polling shows what people care about, explaining elections. Key Takeaway Use data to inform decisions. Themes politics election public opinion strategy Mood analytical critical Type informative cautious When to use this quote - campaign planning - policy development - media analysis Key Concepts survey methodology voter behavior issue salience Questions to Reflect On - How reliable are the polls you trust? - What factors might skew poll results? A Different Perspective Polling can be biased or misinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [In pre-election polling, momentum is more important than position, and in primary polling, national numbers are useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-pre-election-polling-momentum-is-more-important-than-position-and/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Even without voting, illegal aliens do affect who gets elected president, and that's since the Electoral College elects the president, and the states are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-without-voting-illegal-aliens-do-affect-who-gets-elected/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [In some ways, I would be absolutely fascinated if Trump gets elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/in-some-ways-i-would-be-absolutely-fascinated-if-trump-gets-elected/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [One of the great virtues of our democratic system is that only one of the candidates gets elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-meltzer/one-of-the-great-virtues-of-our-democratic-system-is-that-only-one-of/) [Bernard Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-meltzer/) > [When a guy gets elected to the Senate or the governor's mansion, he wakes up the next morning and says to himself, 'You're presidential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/when-a-guy-gets-elected-to-the-senate-or-the-governor-s-mansion-he/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [I think what we can do is make sure as conservatives that we elect good people to both the House, the Senate, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-rielly/i-think-what-we-can-do-is-make-sure-as-conservatives-that-we-elect/) [Michael O'Rielly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-rielly/) > [Money often determines not only who gets elected, but what gets done. Which voices do lawmakers listen to, the banks or home owners, coal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/money-often-determines-not-only-who-gets-elected-but-what-gets-done/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [I still think that with any candidate, whoever gets elected, there are going to be certain issues or platforms that those who feel strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/i-still-think-that-with-any-candidate-whoever-gets-elected-there-are/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [“You have to be willing to lose to win, and you’re going to lose a lot”—a lot of votes, a lot of states. “No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-halperin/you-have-to-be-willing-to-lose-to-win-and-you-re-going-to-lose-a-lot/) [Mark Halperin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-halperin/) > [The 'West Wing' writers room would not have come up with the idea of running a presidential campaign in which an African-American gets elected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-west-wing-writers-room-would-not-have-come-up-with-the-idea-of/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [You know what, man? I am going to literally — if (Palin) gets elected president, I am going to hang out on the grassy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/you-know-what-man-i-am-going-to-literally-if-palin-gets-elected/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [“Politicians obfuscate. It gets them re-elected. If no-one can understand what is going on, then the perception is that we need someone to guide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sieg-pedde/politicians-obfuscate-it-gets-them-re-elected-if-no-one-can/) Sieg Pedde > [Collective solutions to individual problems is very seductive. It's how Obama gets elected, by the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/collective-solutions-to-individual-problems-is-very-seductive-it-s/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [God forbid Donald Trump gets elected president; think about how many people are going to get f\*\*ked over or how much harder we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/god-forbid-donald-trump-gets-elected-president-think-about-how-many/) [Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/) > [No matter how unusual a personality may be who gets elected to office, there are constraints in this country. You don't get to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/no-matter-how-unusual-a-personality-may-be-who-gets-elected-to-office/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) ## More by Harry Enten > [Those who have followed my writing know that I don't think Wendy Davis has a very good chance of being elected governor of Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/those-who-have-followed-my-writing-know-that-i-don-t-think-wendy/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [There's room for more than one great team in the NFL.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/there-s-room-for-more-than-one-great-team-in-the-nfl/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [There is no real correlation between how late or how early a field forms and the eventual nominee's success in the general election. Democrats,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/there-is-no-real-correlation-between-how-late-or-how-early-a-field/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [The ability of a manager to be the driving force of a team is overrated, even when you associate historic teams (think the 1950s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/the-ability-of-a-manager-to-be-the-driving-force-of-a-team-is/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [Those that know me understand that I hate any turn of the phrase 'permanent majority.' I almost always believe that there are larger, mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/those-that-know-me-understand-that-i-hate-any-turn-of-the-phrase/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [Riding a wave of anti-establishment and anti-Obama anger, Tea Party candidates knocked off Democrats and Republicans alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/riding-a-wave-of-anti-establishment-and-anti-obama-anger-tea-party/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [I'll never stop loving Election Night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/i-ll-never-stop-loving-election-night/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [Tropical storm force winds can be dangerous to those who are caught out in them. They could knock down some trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/tropical-storm-force-winds-can-be-dangerous-to-those-who-are-caught/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [Texas Senator Ted Cruz is seen as a figurehead for Tea Party conservatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/texas-senator-ted-cruz-is-seen-as-a-figurehead-for-tea-party/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [The Super Bowl and the NFL in general seem to bring together Americans in a way few other things can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/the-super-bowl-and-the-nfl-in-general-seem-to-bring-together/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [One fascinating element of the Biden presidency has been how Americans still seem to be entranced with Trump, even though he is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/one-fascinating-element-of-the-biden-presidency-has-been-how/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [The Super Bowl is a bunch of shows wrapped into one. It's the only spectacle I know of where people watch just for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/the-super-bowl-is-a-bunch-of-shows-wrapped-into-one-it-s-the-only/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [In an era of streaming and cable television, most programs capture only a small portion of America's over 330 million-person population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/in-an-era-of-streaming-and-cable-television-most-programs-capture/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [My study of past elections in which there was a dominant issue other than the economy indicates that whomever is most trusted on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/my-study-of-past-elections-in-which-there-was-a-dominant-issue-other/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/when-i-m-wrong-i-say-i-m-wrong/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) [Explore all 100 Harry Enten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Election polling can be used to help understand which issues matter to people, which can in turn help us understand why someone gets elected.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Enten" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-understand-which-issues-matter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-understand-which-issues-matter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc9/harry-enten-5474_democracy_election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-und_2027026.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Election polling can be used to help understand which issues matter to people, which can in turn help us…” — Harry Enten", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harry Enten", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Election polling can be used to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-understand-which-issues-matter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/election-polling-can-be-used-to-help-understand-which-issues-matter/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```