In the early 2000s, Rasmussen reports was a polling firm that did something called automated dialing polling. The appeal of those polls from the pollsters perspective is they're much cheaper than paying an actual person to conduct the poll. In the last few years, and I know that Scott Rasmussen left the company in 2013, it's transformed itself more into sort of a right-wing talking points creator. Yes, they do still conduct polling, but they also seem to be backing the idea of election fraud during the 2020 election. If you question elections, I think you'll find that you're not alone.
Newspapers across the country pulled the long-running comic “Dilbert” after its creator uploaded a racist tirade about Rasmussen poll results. Journalist Chris Cillizza explains how providing the fodder for controversy is Rasmussen’s whole deal.
This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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