Are public opinion polls a benefit or a curse to American politics? What influence do they have on campaigns? On governing? What do critics point to as the key weaknesses of public opinion polls? Do you agree? Explain?

Public opinion polls are beneficial in the original sense of the idea. However, the end results of public opinion polls seem to have too many setbacks to be accurate. For Example, random digit dialing, a common way to sample, can easily be full of errors. Some Americans don't want to take the time to listen to the message and hang up; some don't even have phones. Additionally, quick polls encourage candidates or government leaders to focus on the preferences of their peers rather than taking their own bold stand on issues. In the same effect, uncertain voters pick up on other people's voting trends in samples and therefore begin to follow others instead of thinking for themselves. Public opinion polls are a good idea, but with the reality of human nature polls are not very beneficial; concluding to be more of a curse.