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Mark Blumenthal

@mysterypollster.bsky.social
3.7K followers 342 following 162 posts

Pollster. Husband. Father. Cyclist. Currently: YouGov (contractor). Formerly: SurveyMonkey, HuffPost, Pollster.com Contact me: linktr.ee/markblumenthal

PostsRepliesMedia
Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
This is great news for FiftyPlusOne, MS NOW and election coverage in 2026 and beyond!! Huge congrats to @gelliottmorris.com, @kabirkhanna.bsky.social and their teams!
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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Sir that’s your approval rating
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
About time apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-io…
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Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
STOP QUOTE TWEETING THE POLL ACCOUNTS THAT NEVER LINK BACK TO THE POLLS THEY'RE MENTIONING thank you
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Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
100% to "the unglamorous, rarely seen work of poll vetting"
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Scott Clement @sfcpoll.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
My first newsletter includes quotes from the L.A. Times's @noahmgoldberg.bsky.social who uncovered Median Strategies, @fiftyplusone.news Head of Research Mary Radcliffe, @nytimes.com William Davis & O.G. poll aggregator @mysterypollster.bsky.social
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Fully endorse. It takes a lot of hard to vet polls the way they do. Worth the extra click
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Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
When I used to handle poll aggregation at the now-defunct HuffPost Pollster (RIP), easily half of the workflow was a) vetting pollsters we hadn't heard of previously to make sure they had legitimate operations and some baseline idea of what they were doing and b) bugging people for methods details
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I’ve expected something like this for years. Surprised it’s taken this long. And just to be clear: wasn’t me!
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
5:30 am: Poppa on board! Now we ride. #PMC2026 gives 100% of your donations to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. pmc.org/MB0437
A photo of my late father-in-law Frank Burstin Velcro strapped to my handlebars.
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
It's 5:00 in the morning. I hope you're sleeping, but I'm getting ready to ride #PMC2026 (starting at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.... I ride to celebrate and support the survival and honor the memories of too many friends and family affected by cancer….
PMC Riders gather for breakfast at College of Holy Cross in Worcester, MA
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Endorse
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Deleting and reposting, since I missed that they ID Heye as a ‘longtime Trump critic.’ Still, I wonder how many of these GOP fans have listened to the lyrics www.notus.org/republicans/...
Screen capture of text from NOTUS article:

One Republican who harbored no doubts about whether he'd attend was Heye, the consultant and longtime Trump critic.
"I can pump my fist to 'Badlands' and not have a concern in the world," he said. "If putting on the red hat means you need to be nervous about going to rock concerts, then there are probably other issues at hand."Badlands lyrics: 

 Poor man wanna be rich  
Rich man wanna be king  
And a king ain't satisfied  
'Til he rules everything  
I wanna go out tonight  
I wanna find out what I got

Well, I believe in the love that you gave me  
I believe in the faith that could save me  
I believe in the hope  
And I pray that some day  
It may raise me above these

Badlands
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Jonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 19/05/2026
Not enough news coverage of how the insurrectionist reparations fund is a clear violation of the 14th Amendment. We need to enforce the Constitution in its original meaning and plain text. You can't imagine away parts of the Constitution just because it is politically inconvenient.
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
A write up from me on some results on the Iran war from the most recent Yahoo/YouGov poll: yougov.com/en-us/articl...
yougov.com
Three-quarters of Americans are concerned about U.S. getting too involved in Iran
At least 80% of Americans see it as very or somewhat likely that "more U.S. troops in the Middle East will be killed or injured" (82%).
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Geoff Garin @geoffgarin.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
In the new YouGov poll for Yahoo, 19% percent of 2024 Trump voters now say Trump is worse president than they expected - a precursor for a huge loss of support for Republicans in the elections this November.
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
✅ Denial ✅ Rationalization ✅ ANGER
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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Why telephone voice* polling has gotten *super* expensive and hard, in one graph today.yougov.com/topics/polit... * Most polls are still answered on telephones. Even panels are regularly getting majority responses on smartphones. Just not by voice to a unknown caller
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Jamison Foser @jamisonfoser.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
a whole lot of folks whose jobs *should* require knowing this would do well to print it out, tape it to the wall next to their desk, and develop a habit of reading it three times a day.
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
In case you were wondering.... www.yahoo.com/news/politic...
yahoo.com
Poll: Who better represents America? More Americans say Bad Bunny than Trump.
The new Yahoo/YouGov survey was conducted right after the Puerto Rican rapper's Super Bowl halftime performance, which the president described as "an affront to the Greatness of America."
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David Nir @davidnir.com · 28/01/2026
Nope. Son of Holocaust survivor. My father was 11 when the Nazis invaded his hometown in eastern Poland. He survived only by fleeing to a different city with a false baptismal certificate. The comparison is apt. Carry on.
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Helen Burstin, MD, MPH @helenburstinmd.medsky.social · 25/01/2026
As a child of Holocaust survivors, I never thought I’d post this quote about our country 💔
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
@skeetsapp.com With 1.27 I’m suddenly seeing reposts in *list* feeds. Is that Bluesky change or a Skeetsapp change?
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Pro-tip: Never bet against Doug Rivers and @today.yougov.com! With undecided allocated, we had Dems ahead in VA 57-42 & NJ 54-44 today.yougov.com/politics/articles/…
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Ryan O'Donnell @rodonnell.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
I’m deeply honored to lead Data for Progress into our next chapter. The point of our research is not to determine what our values should be, but how to fight for our values most effectively. Excited to keep working with our amazing, dedicated team to sharpen our strategy.
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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
Whatever you may think of Jeff Bezos and his choices about the editorial page, the Post is the only local outlet doing this kind of high-quality, DC and DMV-centric polling. Thank goodness they're still here.
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Citizen Cohn / Jonathan Cohn @citizencohn.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
A real-life story about the amazing progress we've made against cancer And how that progress is now at risk, thanks to Donald Trump www.thebulwark.com/p/research-t...
thebulwark.com
No President Tried to Lose the War on Cancer … Until Trump
The story of a cancer patient, a researcher, and MAGA’s assault on science.
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
5:00 am. Final pre-ride check list item: Poppa on board. Now we ride!! #PMC2025 gives 100% of your donations to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. pmc.org/MB0437
A photo of my late father-in-law Frank Burstin, Velcro strapped to my handlebars. Pops survived Auschwitz, but succumbed to cancer in 2008
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
I'm riding 186 miles across Massachusetts this weekend to raise $$ for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and I hope there's one thing my 6800 rider comrades and the 3500 volunteers should agree on: Let’s all support the National institutes of Health! #PMC2025
Me, standing in front of hundreds of bikes ready to ride the PanMass Challenge, holding a sign over my head that reads, “I support NIH”
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
This weekend, for the 15th straight year, I'm riding 186 miles over two days across Massachusetts to raise funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This terrific Today Show segment explains what it's all about. #PMC2025 youtu.be/vyciUXk_1hI?...
youtu.be
Meet the Man Behind the Pan-Mass Challenge in Massachusetts
YouTube video by TODAY
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Same
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
What a loss. Very few do data journalism as well as @pbump.com. Looking forward to following his work wherever he lands
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Oops
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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
But follow @gelliottmorris.com for approval averages
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Ten-year-old (!) memory, with a bonus: the workings of the roll-your-own Pollster chart
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Nope. Not nearly enough. Nor that it’s a budget IN BALANCE funded by income, property and sales taxes paid by DC residents
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Aaron was similarly valuable at HuffPost/Pollster during his tenure there from 2011-2015. Agree: Hire him!
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Ok, so lots of bad news lately, but this I’m *very* excited about
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G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 05/03/2025
As reported, the entire staff of 538 was laid off this morning. This is a severe blow to political data journalism, and I feel for my colleagues. Readers note: As we were instructed not to publish any new content, all planned updates to polls data and averages are canceled indefinitely. Huge loss :(
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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Important news that should not get lost in the takes about last night's speech. The team at FiveThirtyEight -- the new team, with @gelliottmorris.com leading the analytics side but also with excellent reporters -- has done truly excellent work. A short appreciation thread
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
It’s more than ironic we learn of the coming demise of Fivethirtyeight on the day their Trump approval tracker turns net negative. projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/… /1
Chart of tend in approval rating of Donald Trump, currently showing 47.9% disapproval, 47.6% approval
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
This. Every word of this.
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Such a waste. Elliott and his crew did great work.
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G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 04/03/2025
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Well… of course it is!
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
@skeetsapp.com Is this a known issue? Someone I follow responds to a reply to their post, then either blocks that person or that person deletes their post, so the reply shows up in my feed even though I've set show replies to "no."
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
WTF @nytimes.com? On a @jamellebouie.net *op-ed* column?!? This “survey” is what surrender looks like:
New York Times pops up a survey over a Jamelle Bouie column headlined “Now Is Not The Time For Surrender.” The question text: “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I feel that this story is trying to influence or manipulate my opinion.”
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
Los Angeles friends: Visiting your fair city and watching these planes in formation spelling out what looks like “…weeknights on ABC 7.” LA thing? Never seen before
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Ever wondered what you would have done at some prior moment in history? You’re doing it now. #StandWithAnnSelzer
Text from NYTimes article: “It is out of fear of crossing Mr. Trump that few Republican pollsters have publicly come to Ms. Selzer’s defense. A half dozen prominent Republican pollsters declined to comment for this article. ‘Know you gotta do the story, but count me as a pass,’ said one in a typical response to an email inquiry.”
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Mark Blumenthal @mysterypollster.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Easy (at least it didn't seem obviously relevant in 1982): Programming for non-computer science majors
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