Dispatch Ohio Poll

The Columbus Dispatch has an unusual way of polling. They mail out questionnaires and publish the results of those returned. As near as I can tell, so this poll is older, Whiter, and more female than Ohio likely would be. That'd normally favor Republicans, but Republicans didn't return nearly as many questionnaires as Democrats did.

In August, almost exactly the same number of Democrats and Republicans responded to the Dispatch Poll. But after the mail-poll ballots went out this time to registered Ohio voters chosen exactly the same way — at random by a computer — more Democrats returned the poll forms than did Republicans. The breakdown: 43 percent Democrat, 35percent Republican,

In the poll, Obama beat McCain 55%-43%, while he won 51%-47%. Strickland won 50%-47%. I'm sure Ted Strickland will be glad to hear he's been governor of Ohio for the last two years.

Once again we're confronted with the idea of whether Democrats being more willing to answer polls means more Democrats will go to the polls. This seems like an odd conclusion to me, but the pollsters think the former means the latter.