Are pollsters taking joke Trump supporters seriously?

[Crumpets]

I was out canvassing today, generally trying to gauge voter enthusiasm, and I noticed that many men (and it was always men) would claim to be supporting Trump but would do so in an obviously sarcastic or trollish way. I'm wondering if a live pollster would count these responses as real, or if they'd just not count them. If they do count them, could these people be contributing to a Bradley-effect-style situation where people claim to be voting for Trump for the lolz, but actually vote for someone else or don't vote at all?

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

That... is actually a pretty good question.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Are you sure they're ironic?

[Mr. Morden]

Of course they would count them.  When a respondent says "Donald Trump", the pollster isn't going to ask "Can I really believe you?  From your tone of voice, you sound disingenuous."

However, is there any research to suggest that "joke support" for candidates is a real polling phenomenon?

[Fuzzy Bear]

The ridiculing of Trump is extending to his supporters, which will drive his support longer than one expects it to.  Folks don't like to be called liars or morons.  I'm neither, and I am telling you here and now that for reasons that make perfect sense to me, if the FL GOP Presidential Primary were held today, I would vote for Donald Trump.

I know WHY I'm supporting him.  I hate free trade, and consider most of our "trade agreements" to not be in the interest of America.  I view illegal immigration as a problem that ought to be addressed in a meaningful way.  I think shutting off the flow of illegal immigration ought to come first, before we address the other issues (although I am not opposed in principle to the Dream Act for young folks who have grown up here and know nothing else).  And I certainly think that the Political Insider class of folks need to be reined in.  Voting for Trump advances these goals.

As to his former issue positions:  No Republican really complained in 1966 that Ronald Reagan had been a New Deal Democrat and a supporter of FDR, Truman, and Stevenson.  No Republican is screaming about Rick "Oopsy Daisy" Perry being an Al Gore delegate in 1988 as a Democrat.  No one criticizes Ben Carson for having been a Democrat at one time or another.  So why criticize Trump?  He's not been a career politician; he's not been a RINO as an elected official, and he's not one of these Democrats who switch parties AND ideologies because he/she can't get elected as a Democrat anymore.  I know Trump was once a registered Democrat, but he lives in NYC and NYC is a one-party city, where the Republican nominee for Mayor is more of a "not Democrat" than a real Republican.  (The GOP nominated Michael Bloomberg for Mayor AFTER he pointedly left the GOP and registered as an Independent.)  Trump was a DINO, but, again, he was a private citizen. 

[dudeabides]

The ridiculing of Trump is extending to his supporters, which will drive his support longer than one expects it to.  Folks don't like to be called liars or morons.  I'm neither, and I am telling you here and now that for reasons that make perfect sense to me, if the FL GOP Presidential Primary were held today, I would vote for Donald Trump.

I know WHY I'm supporting him.  I hate free trade, and consider most of our "trade agreements" to not be in the interest of America.  I view illegal immigration as a problem that ought to be addressed in a meaningful way.  I think shutting off the flow of illegal immigration ought to come first, before we address the other issues (although I am not opposed in principle to the Dream Act for young folks who have grown up here and know nothing else).  And I certainly think that the Political Insider class of folks need to be reined in.  Voting for Trump advances these goals.

As to his former issue positions:  No Republican really complained in 1966 that Ronald Reagan had been a New Deal Democrat and a supporter of FDR, Truman, and Stevenson.  No Republican is screaming about Rick "Oopsy Daisy" Perry being an Al Gore delegate in 1988 as a Democrat.  No one criticizes Ben Carson for having been a Democrat at one time or another.  So why criticize Trump?  He's not been a career politician; he's not been a RINO as an elected official, and he's not one of these Democrats who switch parties AND ideologies because he/she can't get elected as a Democrat anymore.  I know Trump was once a registered Democrat, but he lives in NYC and NYC is a one-party city, where the Republican nominee for Mayor is more of a "not Democrat" than a real Republican.  (The GOP nominated Michael Bloomberg for Mayor AFTER he pointedly left the GOP and registered as an Independent.)  Trump was a DINO, but, again, he was a private citizen. 

NAFTA was implemented in 1993 and by 2000, we saw the creation of 22 million jobs. I have stated the facts previously. There are around 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in America right now. Jobs related to the exports of American goods pay about 15% higher, on average, than jobs not related to exports. Free trade enables American consumers to get certain goods for less money, it helps support jobs that pay more, and it allows us the opportunity to have more consumers for goods we make. Additionally, the American south and parts of the midwest have seen BMW, Subaru, Mercedes, and other foreign companies open plants, creating more jobs and revenues in those areas.

If you oppose free trade, you are basically saying that lower prices on some goods and high waged jobs are bad. The problem isn't trade agreements, it's our lack of competitiveness stemming from our tax code, our regulatory environment, excessive litigation, and now Obamacare.

The flow of illegal immigration is down. Of course we can do better, but Trump is using a lot of hype on this issue.

As for the "political insider class" if you want to rein them in, calling them names is not the way to do it. Ideas and leadership is how you do it. Newt Gingrich came to power in 1994 with a clear vision, a plan to rein in the excesses of government, and we did rein in the political class during the 1990s.

Here is the truth, and the answer to the ops question. The reason pollsters are taking Trump seriously is because the crap he's selling is working. There is widespread fear about the future of the economy. The people Trump is able to attract, generally speaking, are not aware of the reasons why the economy is where it is. They have no idea that Dodd-Frank, Obamacare, our tax code, excessive torts, and the Federal Reserve's policies are causing stagnation. Trump's supporters fear people who don't look like them or have the same ethnic background as them. They fear people who look different from them in far away places in countries that make some of the goods we all buy. It's easier to blame someone as opposed to a policy for someones troubles. Trump, like Barack Obama, is playing to people's fears. Also like Barack Obama, Trump's campaign is anti-capitalist in nature, though he's worse than Obama because his campaign is also racist.

Now, to address this idea that Trump is like Reagan and Perry, let's look closely at this for a minute. President Reagan was a Democrat until the 1960s. He then changed parties and ran for office in 1966. By the time he was elected President, he had been a Republican for nearly two decades and had a record to run on. Rick Perry supported a pro-life Democrat for President in 1988. He then changed parties and became a Republican. Reagan was at one time a typical liberal Democrat. Trump was first in the reform party, then the Democratic Party, and now he claims to be a Republican. The difference is, Trump was advocating positions to the left of many Democrats, and on trade policy he still is.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The ridiculing of Trump is extending to his supporters, which will drive his support longer than one expects it to.  Folks don't like to be called liars or morons.  I'm neither, and I am telling you here and now that for reasons that make perfect sense to me, if the FL GOP Presidential Primary were held today, I would vote for Donald Trump.

I know WHY I'm supporting him.  I hate free trade, and consider most of our "trade agreements" to not be in the interest of America.  I view illegal immigration as a problem that ought to be addressed in a meaningful way.  I think shutting off the flow of illegal immigration ought to come first, before we address the other issues (although I am not opposed in principle to the Dream Act for young folks who have grown up here and know nothing else).  And I certainly think that the Political Insider class of folks need to be reined in.  Voting for Trump advances these goals.

As to his former issue positions:  No Republican really complained in 1966 that Ronald Reagan had been a New Deal Democrat and a supporter of FDR, Truman, and Stevenson.  No Republican is screaming about Rick "Oopsy Daisy" Perry being an Al Gore delegate in 1988 as a Democrat.  No one criticizes Ben Carson for having been a Democrat at one time or another.  So why criticize Trump?  He's not been a career politician; he's not been a RINO as an elected official, and he's not one of these Democrats who switch parties AND ideologies because he/she can't get elected as a Democrat anymore.  I know Trump was once a registered Democrat, but he lives in NYC and NYC is a one-party city, where the Republican nominee for Mayor is more of a "not Democrat" than a real Republican.  (The GOP nominated Michael Bloomberg for Mayor AFTER he pointedly left the GOP and registered as an Independent.)  Trump was a DINO, but, again, he was a private citizen. 

NAFTA was implemented in 1993 and by 2000, we saw the creation of 22 million jobs. I have stated the facts previously. There are around 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in America right now. Jobs related to the exports of American goods pay about 15% higher, on average, than jobs not related to exports. Free trade enables American consumers to get certain goods for less money, it helps support jobs that pay more, and it allows us the opportunity to have more consumers for goods we make. Additionally, the American south and parts of the midwest have seen BMW, Subaru, Mercedes, and other foreign companies open plants, creating more jobs and revenues in those areas.

If you oppose free trade, you are basically saying that lower prices on some goods and high waged jobs are bad. The problem isn't trade agreements, it's our lack of competitiveness stemming from our tax code, our regulatory environment, excessive litigation, and now Obamacare.

The flow of illegal immigration is down. Of course we can do better, but Trump is using a lot of hype on this issue.

As for the "political insider class" if you want to rein them in, calling them names is not the way to do it. Ideas and leadership is how you do it. Newt Gingrich came to power in 1994 with a clear vision, a plan to rein in the excesses of government, and we did rein in the political class during the 1990s.

Here is the truth, and the answer to the ops question. The reason pollsters are taking Trump seriously is because the crap he's selling is working. There is widespread fear about the future of the economy. The people Trump is able to attract, generally speaking, are not aware of the reasons why the economy is where it is. They have no idea that Dodd-Frank, Obamacare, our tax code, excessive torts, and the Federal Reserve's policies are causing stagnation. Trump's supporters fear people who don't look like them or have the same ethnic background as them. They fear people who look different from them in far away places in countries that make some of the goods we all buy. It's easier to blame someone as opposed to a policy for someones troubles. Trump, like Barack Obama, is playing to people's fears. Also like Barack Obama, Trump's campaign is anti-capitalist in nature, though he's worse than Obama because his campaign is also racist.

Now, to address this idea that Trump is like Reagan and Perry, let's look closely at this for a minute. President Reagan was a Democrat until the 1960s. He then changed parties and ran for office in 1966. By the time he was elected President, he had been a Republican for nearly two decades and had a record to run on. Rick Perry supported a pro-life Democrat for President in 1988. He then changed parties and became a Republican. Reagan was at one time a typical liberal Democrat. Trump was first in the reform party, then the Democratic Party, and now he claims to be a Republican. The difference is, Trump was advocating positions to the left of many Democrats, and on trade policy he still is.

Al Gore, the Democrat Rick Perry was a delegate for, was pro-choice in 1988; he changed to run for President when it became clear that the Feminist Left of the Democratic Party would veto his candidacy if he were pro-life. 

As to NAFTA, you're dreaming.

[dudeabides]

The ridiculing of Trump is extending to his supporters, which will drive his support longer than one expects it to.  Folks don't like to be called liars or morons.  I'm neither, and I am telling you here and now that for reasons that make perfect sense to me, if the FL GOP Presidential Primary were held today, I would vote for Donald Trump.

I know WHY I'm supporting him.  I hate free trade, and consider most of our "trade agreements" to not be in the interest of America.  I view illegal immigration as a problem that ought to be addressed in a meaningful way.  I think shutting off the flow of illegal immigration ought to come first, before we address the other issues (although I am not opposed in principle to the Dream Act for young folks who have grown up here and know nothing else).  And I certainly think that the Political Insider class of folks need to be reined in.  Voting for Trump advances these goals.

As to his former issue positions:  No Republican really complained in 1966 that Ronald Reagan had been a New Deal Democrat and a supporter of FDR, Truman, and Stevenson.  No Republican is screaming about Rick "Oopsy Daisy" Perry being an Al Gore delegate in 1988 as a Democrat.  No one criticizes Ben Carson for having been a Democrat at one time or another.  So why criticize Trump?  He's not been a career politician; he's not been a RINO as an elected official, and he's not one of these Democrats who switch parties AND ideologies because he/she can't get elected as a Democrat anymore.  I know Trump was once a registered Democrat, but he lives in NYC and NYC is a one-party city, where the Republican nominee for Mayor is more of a "not Democrat" than a real Republican.  (The GOP nominated Michael Bloomberg for Mayor AFTER he pointedly left the GOP and registered as an Independent.)  Trump was a DINO, but, again, he was a private citizen. 

NAFTA was implemented in 1993 and by 2000, we saw the creation of 22 million jobs. I have stated the facts previously. There are around 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in America right now. Jobs related to the exports of American goods pay about 15% higher, on average, than jobs not related to exports. Free trade enables American consumers to get certain goods for less money, it helps support jobs that pay more, and it allows us the opportunity to have more consumers for goods we make. Additionally, the American south and parts of the midwest have seen BMW, Subaru, Mercedes, and other foreign companies open plants, creating more jobs and revenues in those areas.

If you oppose free trade, you are basically saying that lower prices on some goods and high waged jobs are bad. The problem isn't trade agreements, it's our lack of competitiveness stemming from our tax code, our regulatory environment, excessive litigation, and now Obamacare.

The flow of illegal immigration is down. Of course we can do better, but Trump is using a lot of hype on this issue.

As for the "political insider class" if you want to rein them in, calling them names is not the way to do it. Ideas and leadership is how you do it. Newt Gingrich came to power in 1994 with a clear vision, a plan to rein in the excesses of government, and we did rein in the political class during the 1990s.

Here is the truth, and the answer to the ops question. The reason pollsters are taking Trump seriously is because the crap he's selling is working. There is widespread fear about the future of the economy. The people Trump is able to attract, generally speaking, are not aware of the reasons why the economy is where it is. They have no idea that Dodd-Frank, Obamacare, our tax code, excessive torts, and the Federal Reserve's policies are causing stagnation. Trump's supporters fear people who don't look like them or have the same ethnic background as them. They fear people who look different from them in far away places in countries that make some of the goods we all buy. It's easier to blame someone as opposed to a policy for someones troubles. Trump, like Barack Obama, is playing to people's fears. Also like Barack Obama, Trump's campaign is anti-capitalist in nature, though he's worse than Obama because his campaign is also racist.

Now, to address this idea that Trump is like Reagan and Perry, let's look closely at this for a minute. President Reagan was a Democrat until the 1960s. He then changed parties and ran for office in 1966. By the time he was elected President, he had been a Republican for nearly two decades and had a record to run on. Rick Perry supported a pro-life Democrat for President in 1988. He then changed parties and became a Republican. Reagan was at one time a typical liberal Democrat. Trump was first in the reform party, then the Democratic Party, and now he claims to be a Republican. The difference is, Trump was advocating positions to the left of many Democrats, and on trade policy he still is.

Al Gore, the Democrat Rick Perry was a delegate for, was pro-choice in 1988; he changed to run for President when it became clear that the Feminist Left of the Democratic Party would veto his candidacy if he were pro-life. 

As to NAFTA, you're dreaming.

Don't believe me? Here are the FACTS:

http://www.factcheck.org/2008/07/naftas-impact-on-employment/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/matthew-j-slaughter-the-free-trade-way-to-job-growth-1412250623

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

NAFTA was implemented in 1993 and by 2000, we saw the creation of 22 million jobs. I have stated the facts previously. There are around 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in America right now.

Come on, you don't really believe that.

[dudeabides]

NAFTA was implemented in 1993 and by 2000, we saw the creation of 22 million jobs. I have stated the facts previously. There are around 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in America right now.

Come on, you don't really believe that.

I don't believe that NAFTA was solely responsible for the creation of 22 million jobs, but it did help create some jobs and it didn't have a negative impact on the economy as some would have you believe.

As for manufacturing jobs:

http://cnsnews.com/commentary/stephen-moore/why-it-so-hard-employers-fill-these-jobs

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Sbane]

NAFTA was implemented in 1993 and by 2000, we saw the creation of 22 million jobs. I have stated the facts previously. There are around 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in America right now.

Come on, you don't really believe that.

I don't believe that NAFTA was solely responsible for the creation of 22 million jobs, but it did help create some jobs and it didn't have a negative impact on the economy as some would have you believe.

As for manufacturing jobs:

http://cnsnews.com/commentary/stephen-moore/why-it-so-hard-employers-fill-these-jobs

You must be logged in to read this quote.

There is a problem with education in this country, especially vocational training for the skills that are needed today. Of course, it is much easier to blame foreigners than improving oneself and so that's what people do.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I have found a lot of sarcastic Trump supporters while doing my work as well.

[Jacobtm]

Why do you think they're joke supporters or sarcastic?

Do they smile or laugh a bit when they say they're supporting him?

A sign of excitement. Of giddyness. Of saying something you know you're not supposed to say, but saying it anyway.

They're enthusiastic trump supporters.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

How very postmodern

[dudeabides]

Why do you think they're joke supporters or sarcastic?

Do they smile or laugh a bit when they say they're supporting him?

A sign of excitement. Of giddyness. Of saying something you know you're not supposed to say, but saying it anyway.

They're enthusiastic trump supporters.

Not my candidate, But I have to agree with him on this:

[Mister Mets]

This is a problem for pollsters, especially with some very straightforward questions. I remember a political science professor complaining that he ran a poll and had a hard time getting people to confirm that George W Bush was President (a nontrivial amount answered Dick Cheney.)

"Who are you voting for?" questions tend not to elicit these kind of responses, though Trump's role in the race may be an exception.