Political polling is both a science and an art; and it’s come a long way since it wrongly led the Chicago Tribune to proclaim that Thomas Dewey defeated Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election. That doesn’t mean that many of today’s polls aren’t also misleading, especially if a wild card is in play. (Read the full column at EWRoss.com)
Filed under: Politics, 1940s, 1948 presidential election, 2008 presidential election, 2010 election, 2012 election, a science and an art, African-American mayor of Los Angeles, Bain attacks, barack obama, Bradley Effect, Chicago Tribune, Democratic activists, Democratic constituency groups, Dick Morris, Ed Ross, Election Day, ewross, Gov. Romney, governor of California, harry truman, if the election were held today, minorities, NPolitical polling, overseas bank accounts, panic mode, phenomenon, plethora of polls, Post-election research, President Truman’s, presidential debates, Presidential tracking polls, private pollsters, public polls, racial divisiveness, Racism, recall election, Republican George Deukmejian, Republicans and Democrats, Rush Limbaugh, Scott Rasmussen, Thomas Dewey, Thomas E. Dewey, tidal wave, Tom Bradley, union activism, union leaders, union members, United States presidential election 1948, war-on-women, white voters, wild-card factor, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, wishful thinking

LinkedIn Group: Defense Industry Network
Discussion: THE 2012 ELECTION WILD CARD
Polls mean as much as the votes The only thing that matters is who is counting them And apparently these jobs like so many others have been moved offshore In Spain a company owned by George Sorros will be counting some of the American votes as well as three other tabulation centers in swing states Am I the only one seeing a problem here ? And since when can the White house sue Ohio for there military absentee votes to be nullified could it be that military votes traditionally are republican votes and Ohio is a swing state will the current administration stop at nothing to steal this election Where are the whistle blowers have they all been paid off with stimulus money ?
Posted by Paul Daly
LinkedIn Group: Campaign for Liberty
Discussion: THE 2012 ELECTION WILD CARD
IT APPEARS THAT SOME POLLS ARE OVERSAMPLING DEMOCRATS.A THIRD PARTYCANDIDATE COULD SURPRISE IF ROMNEYS VP CHOICE IS UNINSPIRING.WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A REPEAT OF 2000.
Posted by mark bablin
LinkedIn Group: U.S. Veteran
Discussion: THE 2012 ELECTION WILD CARD
When I started moderating here, Bob said to watch for and be sure to read your blog. Wonderful blog Mr Ross. However, with all due respect, I think the party is mismanaging the campaign horribly and the wild card may in effect become the “they do it too” syndrome.
Mr Romney did nothing wrong at Bain, or in sheltering his money. Why is the party pointing at the other side’s errors? That doesn’t make it right, that just makes them both wrong. And in a lesser of two evils vote, I think the incumbent has the advantage. Why not just say it like it is. Do something crazy, like assume the public has some intelligence. The problem with the “spin” is that often the wheel keep spinning until it points favorably in the opposite direction.
All too many of my Republican friends tell me they voted the anti-Bush vote. That put Mr Obama at a distinct disadvantage from the start. I don’t want the same type of vote this time around. I’d rather see less mud slinging at Obama and more primping and preening of Romney, so the vote is clean and positive.
Posted by Sara -
LinkedIn Group: The Heritage Foundation
Discussion: THE 2012 ELECTION WILD CARD
No one should doubt that Democrats will pull something out of their old bag of tricks before it’s all over. The question is only, “What will it be?” Israel might do better to wait until after the election to start anything with Iran, but she might feel it necessary to strike sooner. If so, BHO could jump into the fray and gain support from the ignorantia, that growing element whose members don’t know enough to even vote. Reince Priebus’ and Lindsay Graham’s open calls on Harry Reid’s libel of Mitt Romney will pause that line of attack, but there will be more, and the left’s admirers will swallow and repeat every concoction they hear. A debate between BHO and Romney should be a disaster for BHO; but the demos can be counted on to find a way dodge that bullet. We don’t yet have any Ross Perot spoilers to pull the left out of the quicksand, and it’s getting to be pretty late in the game; but never say “never.”
Posted by Ronald Bouwman
For years American blacks have aligned themselves with the left of center of the Democratic Party. Labor Unions and Liberal whites always stood with the blacks on issues important to them and to a certain degree visa versa. The election of President Obama has forced the reevaluation of this alliance. However philosophically wrong it may be, blacks voted for Obama first and foremost because he was black. White Liberals and Unions supported his candidacy primarily to avoid offending their partners, the blacks. These liberals and labor officials believed that the President would not do anything to force them into a position of having to criticize him, something they would be loathed to do. This sense of impotency is the reason why so many Liberal Democrats accuse anyone who criticizes President Obama of being a racist. The President has failed labor, the white middle class has lost the value of their homes and their children’s education has been lost in the economic malaise while black and illegal immigrants are given special treatment via Executive Orders. President Obama fears that the Bradley Effect will come into play if Romney has a chance to hit back hard.