Polls still matter.
They still ask REAL people question and you do get results out of it.
It's true that the pollsters try to show what they think should be seen. You can skew polls in favor of something. However, if they are properly recording the answers, that cannot upend the field. There is no way that Kucinich would ever top a Democrat poll, no matter how you spin the question.
Internal polling numbers are what's important. I'm not entirely sure that the Paul campaign has got some, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. These internal polling numbers can be done with all fairness and truth without skew so that the campaign doesn't fool itself. That's how you get a true sense of it.
But, for the grassroots, we have media polling. And, while these polls are skewed, they are not baseless. There is some truth to them and I'd say that its pretty close to fact that, in Iowa, Huckabee and Romney are going to go 1-2 (no particular order there). You can also see that there is a virtual four-way tie for third place. That's what those poll numbers can tell you.
After you get that general sense, you can analyze. Huckabee is likely going to win because he has the Al Sharpton vote in Iowa. That vote is particularly energized and has a high percentage of voter turnout for the caucus.
For third place, it's between Paul and McCain. McCain's resurgence may win him some of the normal caucus goers while Paul's supporters are particularly dedicated.
If we get 3rd, we become a serious player for the NH primary. Win the NH primary and Paul is all of the sudden a top contender that has a showdown with Huckabee in SC.
