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Yes, I think that's the biggest part of the problem - that the 1% who take the call, sign up for the panel, etc are not representative of the 100%. Not for the population as a whole, but of their demographic segment - so they can't correct using the tools available to them.
Lying is then a second order of error laid on top of that.
I don't envy their job and can see why they all end up herding.
frank9755
Well, they're defnitely not good at it. Some of the things being tried are crazy and ill-considered (although that particular technique is most likely to exagerrate Trump's support). But I don't even think this particular issue is that significant when it comes to polling inaccuracy. The biggest problem they have is that response rates - people willing to take the phone call, respond to texts and so on - have dropped below one percent of those they try to contact. This means the sample that the pollsters can work with is pretty much worthless, and they try to compensate for that with various dubious models.
When so few people are willing to pick up the phone, it wouldn't help even if they all told the truth.