Bookies in politics

According to Martin Karbowski, a worrying new trend has emerged in Bulgaria's local elections: voters are being influenced by opinion pollsters commissioned by the parties themselves. "Politicians are buying up opinion polling institutes and thus blocking voters' access to comprehensive data. The claims of most opinion pollsters only add to confusion. They have become bookies, reinforcing the monopoly of the big players in political and social life. ... Normally, winning over public opinion demands great efforts by political strategists, PR and advertising experts and the media. The politicians have saved themselves the trouble and the cost and simply bought the end product."

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