November 2002 is past, but publishing the results of polls continues. Last week the local print newspaper was responsible for publication of a poll that asked "Do you feel that the Cedar Key Police are doing a good job of enforcing the law?" The results were 65 percent answering "Yes", and 35 percent answering "No". When presented with polling results the reader might well ask a few questions. Reputable pollsters disclose the margin of error and how many people answered the question. For a poll to be valid, a spectrum of the population must be questioned. Ideally, the wording of the question should not prompt a particular answer. If a pollster asked twenty Corvette owners to name the best make of car, the results would be predictable. If Fidel Castro polled one hundred Cubans on his place in history, the results would be predictable. The next time the results of a poll are presented, the following questions should apply: 1. How many people answered the question? 2. Was the question a straight question? 3. Who asked the question? 4. Why was the question asked? 5. Do you expect the pollster to be fair? | 