After the Iowa caucuses, it was widely reported that Obama had not only overtaken Clinton in the New Hampshire primary, but had jumped to a significant lead. So I just went to check CNN.com, and it tells me, at after 10:00 PM Eastern, that the race is too close to call, and in fact, Clinton holds a 2% lead at this point.
If that's the case, then what use are the opinion polls used to generate (not REPORT) news ahead of these preliminary elections?
Honestly, I would prefer to hear more about what each candidate's policies are, and less about how they and their people and the reporters who follow their people feel about polls.
As a person likely to vote Democrat, I want to know the positions of all the candidates. I want to know which Democrat I would like most, and which Republican I wouldn't mind settling for if/when the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot. Or, alternatively, which Democrats would not embarrass me, and which Republican is beatable. I'll know that by their ideas and plans, not polls!
Sorry -- off my soapbox now.
And back to Monty Python. Episode 13: "It's the Arts."
2 comments:
Hi Steve -
Did you know I've been lurking on your blog? Your comment about polls has lured me out of hiding. It's too bad more people don't think like you do on this. Unfortunately, many want the horse race and are more interested in voting with "a winner" than taking time to delve into issues and ideas. A popularity contest, it seems. Although not this time in New Hampshire, apparently, where they said forget the polls -- on the Dem side, anyway. Perhaps therein lies some progress?
-- TRW
Welcome, T! No, I had no idea, but I'm always glad to know I have another reader, lurking or not.
I'm posting another politics item today. Not likely a change in focus, but the topic does seem to be more on my mind lately.
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