As part of a permanent campaign, political leaders use polls to craft their language, track responses to their speeches and identify who is for them, who against them, and why. Polling helps politicians maintain and expand their coalition from one election to the next by tracking attitudes.
Politicians also benefit from polling in the same way companies marketing a product do. It is easier to persuade when you understand your audience. The Reagan administration discovered that calling a space-based defense program “Star Wars” appealed to the public more than when it was called the “Strategic Defense Initiative.”