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Pollsters do engage in commentaries

Dec 04, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Contrary to what Dr. Joey Jagan penned, there is no conflict or contradiction in being a pollster and a commentator.
Almost all pollsters are also commentators.  In this media age, they are all over the media on radio, internet, TV and newsprint giving their views on socio-politico and economic issues.
Joey stated that pollsters do not offer viewpoints. That is not factual. In Trinidad, for example, pollsters Derek Chadee, Derek Ramsamooj and Selwyn Ryan feature in the dailies regularly with opinions about Trinidad politics. Ramsamooj writes often in the Guardian. Prof. Ryan has a weekly Sunday column in the Express. Pollster Ramesh Deosaran (a Senator in Parliament) used to have a regular column as well and appeared regularly on TV 6 to give his views on crime, corruption, education, etc. while he was conducting polls for Ansa McAl at UWI. In Barbados, pollster Prof. Peter Wickham writes regularly in the Nation. In Jamaica, the late pollster Carl Stone was a regular commentator in the Gleaner. In the U.S, Frank Luntz, the AFC pollster (2006 elections) who also is a Republican pollster, appears regularly on TV and the major newspapers.  He is a frequent commentator on ABC “This Week” with George Stephanopolus giving his views on American politics. So, it is not unusual for pollsters to present their views on varied issues in the media because most of them are academics or educators like myself.
Joey claimed that being a commentator could introduce elements of bias in a poll, but he has not identified any biases (or errors) in my writings or in the NACTA polls I conducted. I have been conducting an annual NACTA poll (since 1992) in Guyana that is professionally done. I never stated what my personal views of issues are before or after a poll. In fact, I do not recall writing about issues I poll. I never inserted my views about issues I poll. Joey will not be able to identify any. Thus, the findings are not influenced by my opinions or any personal bias or agenda and this is substantiated by the fact that all of my polls on elections in Guyana from 1992 to 2006 were accurate. So, clearly there is no bias. I recall a poll in 2005 that found Joey the most popular opposition figure who stood the best chance to capture the Presidency. Does Joey feel that was a bias poll?  I also recall a poll I conducted in 1997 that found President Cheddi more popular and likeable than Desmond Hoyte and Forbes Burnham. Was that also a biased poll in Joey’s eyes?
I agree with Joey that polls must be scientific, but making political commentaries do not make a poll unscientific. At least Joey has not shown that to be a fact. Political commentaries have no connection with scientific polls which is a completely different subject matter (to be addressed later). And Joey has not told us how an interviewee could be influenced by “Bisram’s grandiloquent” style. I never compromise the findings of my polls even when they are supportive of Joey. In point of fact, last week several people told me they view Joey was the right person to succeed President Jagdeo in a survey I conducted (more later) while in Guyana.
I think Joey misread my brief comment about the late Cheddi Jagan. It was not meant to criticise Cheddi when I wrote his ideology hurt him vis-a-vis the West. On hindsight, I had my differences with Cheddi on ideology, but when I was a young college student I too was attracted to left wing radical thought. So I don’t hold it against Cheddi. I respect and admire him for what he stood and represented, though I did not agree with him.
I agree with Joey that the West on Trial is not a myth and I penned as such in my response to Freddie Kissoon on revisionist history (Kaieteur News, November 27). One can call Cheddi many things, but a liar he was not. Cheddi was a simple, humble, ordinary human being. He was honest and straight forward. He was caring, compassionate and loving. He was the closest one can come to being a perfect human.
Vishnu Bisram

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