Zogby Poll Skewed?

The Washington Times Joel Mowbray reports that James Zogby didn't come clean about his ambivalence toward WalMart when reporting findings from his latest poll:

But what no journalist would have known without digging is that Mr. Zogby cannot be considered an objective third-party when it comes to Wal-Mart. Without the presumption that the pollster was working solely to gauge scientifically the attitudes of the public, the poll loses much of its luster and becomes just another cog in Big Labor's coordinated campaign against the retailer.

In recent years, Mr. Zogby has pocketed roughly $90,000 to serve as an expert witness for individuals suing Wal-Mart, according to testimony he gave in a deposition last year in an Arizona case. Nowhere is Mr. Zogby's prior work on behalf of plaintiffs mentioned in the press release announcing the poll results.

...As any pollster can attest, trust is the key issue, as polling -- no matter how transparent or scientific it purports to be -- hinges on the credibility of the wizard behind the curtain. Pollsters are masters of subtle manipulation, and small changes in wording can -- and often do -- yield substantially different results. Or questions can be asked in such a way that produce ambiguous results that can be interpreted in many different fashions.

Precisely because trust is so important, WakeUpWalMart.com hired Mr. Zogby to give its poll bashing Wal-Mart extra panache and an air of instant credibility. In a phone interview, WakeUpWalMart.com spokesman Chris Kofinis adamantly maintained that the poll was beyond reproach because Mr. Zogby is "an independent." Which, not coincidentally, is exactly how the pollster described himself -- again and again and again.

The various labor unions throughout the country--with the possible exception of those in the northeast--have been hemorrhaging members for years and they have gone from a major voting bloc to a second rate source of funds for Democratic PACs.

They hate that the worlds largest company is a non-union company that is adamant about not allowing these organization set up shop.

The leadership at WalMart has taken note of the effect unions had on former powerhouse corporations like GM and they know that once they allow one union in, they will eventually be dragged down also.

That Zogby was in bed with them and performed the polling for them is a serious blow to his already shaky credibility.