Sarah Palin once said that “polls are only good for strippers and cross country skiers.” That’s a little harsh, but given the state of public opinion polling, she might not be the only person who thinks that these days. The public opinion measuring business has changed and continues to try to find its footing. Polling is clearly not public participation, but it has been a really useful tool in the past to at least establish positions and attitudes at some snapshot in time. Given some of the more recent high profile national polling failures, and some of the even more melodramatic and slightly stupid headlines that polls have generated, it’s worth reconsidering its veracity and future.