Why wouldn't a legit. pollster identify itself?

[spooky3]

As a VA resident, I have been inundated with robocalls (nearly all from Romney nuts) and human callers, including alleged pollsters. Today a human caller said she was conducting a poll and immediately asked for whom I would vote, if the election were held today. As I read the recent thread about Gravis Marketing, and as this is a personal question and I have no time for "pollsters" who may turn out to be campaign operatives or telemarketers, I politely asked her for whom she was polling. She was flustered and then said "it's for a national polling firm." I pleasantly asked, "which one?", but when she stammered, I asked her to remove our names from her list and hung up.

Don't you think that if it were Gallup, or Wash. Post, etc., that the phone people would be trained to name the company before requesting participation? And if not, wouldn't those people know how to respond, if asked? Really seemed strange to me.

[Doodler71]

1. I've had the exact same

situation here in Iowa. Same deal, I asked for whom she was polling. She was flustered and kept repeating "it's for a national polling firm." I asked which one and she repeated "a national polling firm". I told her if she couldn't tell me who she was polling for or who hired her firm to do the polling, I would not participate.

[spooky3]

2. Well, that confirms my suspicions. I don't think it is a legitimate poll.

Thanks for posting about your experience.

We're on the donotcall.gov list and we frequently get calls from people who violate the law, along with the charities, political orgs., and legitimate pollsters who are exempt. It's so annoying.

[spooky3]

3. A little web research reveals that it was probably Crossroads GPS, a RW org. that was lying about

the reason for the call. I'm not going to link to info about them but they are easy to find.