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Hume: How the polling process really works

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    Are more Democrats sampled than Republican?

  • Duration 2:30
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Syria will almost certainly be on the agenda tonight for the debate and no matter what the polls say after the match up.

You might do well to understand just how the polling process works all the way along.

Senior political analyst Brit Hume joins us now from Washington with some insight on that activated -- Another -- there is considerable heartburn in Republican circles these days over polls and appear to have a disproportionate number of -- percentage of Democrats responding.

The critics may be right but there may not be much pollsters can do about it and they probably should not try it.

Pollsters strive for samples based on what census data say is a proper percentage of -- characteristic -- race sex and age.

These qualities are not subject to continual change a person's political affiliation is.

In a strong year for democratic presidential candidate for example -- more people will inevitably say they're Democrats and vice Versa.

Party -- -- notification therefore something a poll is intended to discover.

Not something an honest pollsters should try to determine ahead of time.

However there's this four years ago and a very big year for Democrats.

Election Day exit polling showed more Democrats voted than Republicans by seven percentage points the same margin by the way -- which Barack Obama won.

Not many people think is bigger percentage of Democrats will turnout this year.

Get a compilation of all recent polls by pollster dot com.

Should samples contained on average more Democrats by you guessed it seven percentage points.

Pollsters are probably right not to wait that is tinker with their results to reach a preconceived result on party ID who knows what the -- percentages.

But these results still have to make you one.

-- read about tonight's debate you know this is not only a foreign policy debate but it's also closing argument your thoughts.

Briefly on as we head up to the start of this debate.

But candidate challenging a sitting president of the United States.

Has to do one important thing and that is to be seen as a potential president.

And while this election may not be fought out on foreign policy as a principal issue it is nonetheless part of the portfolio a critical part of the presidential portfolio.

It is up to Mitt Romney tonight to show -- knowledgeable enough -- familiar enough and has some command enough of those issues to qualify to be president.

The president on the other hand is the president -- -- have to worry about that his job and it seems to me is to show that he knows what he's doing.

And to some extent has done.

Our -- talked to a little bit later tonight.

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