I believe the U.S. Constitution is obsolete, that man is causing the weather, that elected officials are watching out for us, that the “war on terror” has been won, that the stock market is based on pure capitalism. And if you were to take issue with me, you would lose. You see, I have polls to back me up. What have you got?

Think about it, most popular issues today are allowing polls to drive opinions. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying polls are accurate or even giving us apples to apples results. I’m saying polls wield a massive influence. Maybe pollsters could be considered “data cowboys,” i.e. driving the populace into the appropriate corrals (opinions).

Several years ago I researched poll taking and contacted three poll takers to find out if I could get my own poll and what it would cost. I was told the very basics would be $1,500 to $1,800. When specifics were discussed, I was told I could get whatever results I wanted. It was just a matter of “tweaking the methodology.”

Americans are having a love affair with the polls. How many times have you heard or said in a conversation that X% believes this or that? This becomes poignant when our elected officials are acting on these polls. The cold depressing fact is neither may be accurate. Whatever happened to facts?

Humorist Erma Bombeck wrote: “I haven’t trusted polls since I read that 62 percent of women had affairs during their lunch hour. I’ve never met a woman in my life who would give up lunch for sex.”

Now that I think about it, maybe the Constitution isn’t obsolete. But that’s okay, because I’ve been told this letter is accurate within 3 to 5 percent margin of error.