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'''Bernie Ross Pinsonat''' (born August 25, 1941)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/bernie-pinsonat/e670582847172|title=Bernie Pinsonat|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=December 3, 2018}}</ref> is a pollster whose Southern Media and Opinion Research Company is based in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]].

'''Bernie Ross Pinsonat''' (born August 25, 1941)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/bernie-pinsonat/e670582847172|title=Bernie Pinsonat|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=December 3, 2018}}</ref> is a pollster whose Southern Media and Opinion Research Company is based in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]].

   

   

Formerly of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]], Pinsonat entered the polling business through the encouragement of his [[golf]]ing friend, [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], the Louisiana [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[U.S. Senator]] from 1972 to 1997, who named Pinsonat early in his career to Johnston's Pinsonat's polls often include questions inserted "just for fun". Pinsonat drew the ire of [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]], who defeated Johnston in the 1971 Democratic runoff [[primary]]. The more Edwards criticized Pinsonat, the more business the polling company acquired. Pinsonat said that he gets the most satisfaction from his independent political polls, but the mainstay of his company, in partnership with Buster McKenzie, consists of surveys for corporations and election campaigns.<ref name=lapolitics>{{cite web|url=https://lapolitics.com/2013/11/lapolitics-newsmaker-bernie-pinsonat/|title=LaPolitics Newsmaker: Bernie Pinsonat|author=Kelly Connelly|date=November 26, 2013|publisher=Lapolitics.com|accessdate=December 3, 2018}}</ref>

Formerly of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]], Pinsonat entered the polling business through the encouragement of his [[golf]]ing friend, [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], the Louisiana [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[U.S. Senator]] from 1972 to 1997, who named Pinsonat early in his career to Johnston's staff. Pinsonat's polls often include questions inserted, in his words, "just for fun". Pinsonat drew the ire of [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]], who defeated Johnston in the 1971 Democratic runoff [[primary]]. The more Edwards criticized Pinsonat, the more business the polling company acquired. Pinsonat said that he gets the most satisfaction from his independent political polls, but the mainstay of his company, in partnership with Buster McKenzie, consists of surveys for corporations and election campaigns.<ref name=lapolitics>{{cite web|url=https://lapolitics.com/2013/11/lapolitics-newsmaker-bernie-pinsonat/|title=LaPolitics Newsmaker: Bernie Pinsonat|author=Kelly Connelly|date=November 26, 2013|publisher=Lapolitics.com|accessdate=December 3, 2018}}</ref>

Prior to the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, Pinsonat correctly forecast that Johnston's Democratic successor, [[Mary Landrieu]],would lose her bid for a fourth term as senator because her projected share of the white vote had dipped to 25 percent, instead of the 37 to 41 percent needed to win when combined with solid [[African-American]] support.<ref name=lapolitics/> Landrieu was unseated by Baton Rouge [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bill Cassidy]].  

Prior to the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, Pinsonat correctly forecast that Johnston's Democratic successor, [[Mary Landrieu]],would lose her bid for a fourth term as senator because her projected share of the white vote had dipped to 25 percent, instead of the 37 to 41 percent needed to win when combined with solid [[African-American]] support.<ref name=lapolitics/> Landrieu was unseated by Baton Rouge [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bill Cassidy]].