here’s their sample
METHODOLOGY: This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Sept. 19-22, 2008, among a random sample of 1,082 adults, including an oversample of African Americans (weighted to their correct share of the national population), for a total of 163 black respondents. Results among the 916 registered voters surveyed have a 3-point error margin; among the 780 likely voters, 3.5-points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS of Horsham, PA.
So, they assume that 100% of African Americans over 18 will vote. But strangely enough, not other segments of the population. I wonder why? 
Update
The McCain Campaign actually objected to the poll on other imbalances:
At the crux of McInturff’s argument was the fact that the Democratic party identification in the Post poll was 16 points higher than the Republican identification — a far larger margin than the Democratic ID edge in other recent public polling.
The response was quite lame
Jon Cohen, the Post’s polling director, explained that the actual party ID numbers among likely voters had Democrats plus six points. It was only when people who offer no original party ID were asked whether they leaned one direction or the other that the number jumped to Democrats +16.
Awww…they didn’t know…the check was in the mail…the goat ate their homework.
Update of October 1
New poll shows Obama losing ground
Last week Obama was up by nine in the ABC/Washington Post poll and it was front page news. This week Obama is up by 4, within 1 point of the margin of error and the poll cannot be found. Instead the story is Bush’s approval rating which finds a new low in this poll.
Interestingly the internals of the poll are difficult to find. I have been unable to find the party ID of those polled.
New ABC News/Washington Post national poll conducted after the debate (Sept 27-29) shows that John McCain has picked up 5 points on Barack Obama during the last week, moving from a nine-point deficit to trailing by four:
Obama 50 (-2 vs. last poll Sept 19-22)
McCain 46 (+3)
A similar pick up occurred in the Gallup
The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update of registered voters finds Barack Obama at 48%, and John McCain at 44%, marking a slight narrowing of the race from the eight percentage point margin Obama held earlier this week.
10 comments
September 24, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Scott Ferrarello/Sicilian/Irish
It’s all just a smoke screen to try and manipulate the opinion 0f voters by distorting the actual numbers.
In 2004 , only “Rasmussen’s Poll” had Bush up by 3 points on the day of the election.
September 24, 2008 at 3:45 pm
edgeoforever
Historically, oversampling in polls reflects future “oversampling” in counting of votes.
The fix is in as I already said
September 24, 2008 at 4:19 pm
BA
Their bias is rather obvious from their pdf. document (see first two paragraphs).
For what it is worth, I rely on two polls only: Gallup Tracking and Rasmussen Tracking.
780 persons polled over 3 days is a rather low number: Gallup polls 1,000 a day
There has been an understandable increase in Obama’s favor in the last few days, and it has started to abate.
The data is consistent with a poll taken one day, some days ago, in two or three large Democratic States.
September 24, 2008 at 5:13 pm
edgeoforever
BA check the last update too – they had 16% more dems than GOP-ers…
September 24, 2008 at 5:45 pm
uppity kitty
This crap is posted as factual on many formerly intelligent progressive blogs. Seems my entire Dem party has gone round the bend, very sad.
October 1, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Grail Guardian
I think they are publishing skewed and inaccurate polls so it doesn’t seem like such a stretch when they change the outcome of the vote on November 4th. If people get a steady diet of “Obama is ahead” between now and then, it won’t come as a shock or outrage to most Americans. Oddly, they don’t seem to care that many are called the polls rigged and questioning the sampling methods.
I think we need to start on plans for a lawsuit on November 5th to get a certified recount in every state. I can’t imagine for a moment that we won’t need it.
October 1, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Scott Ferrarello
The voter fraud is already off the charts in Ohio.
Where’s PUMA down there ?
October 2, 2008 at 10:05 am
lee M.
Expect the voter fraud and attempted fraud to be rampant this election. If the primaries are any example, the Obama people have been working overtime to train and coach the Obomabots in how to intimidate people and either prevent or influence their votes by threats. There is so much at stake this time that they will go all out and try anything.
October 5, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Adjusting the samples: fixing the polls « Not Your Sweetie
[…] I remember the famous ABC poll weighing 16% more dems to show an Obama 9% lead – how is this a positive? I guess when all the rest follow, the perception is created… Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)My Team vs. Your Team: The Political Arena Lives Up to Its NameEyeing Congress […]
October 15, 2008 at 9:04 am
PUMAs came home! (Or did they?) « Not Your Sweetie
[…] And I say dubious because nowadays pollsters do not even bother to show the internals – what kind of samples did they used. The last ones that did were an ABC poll that had 16% more democrats and oversampled AAs. […]