I have a major word of caution about the information you will hear on radio, TV, and published on internet sites today.
You need to understand what will happen today so you will be able to keep your sanity.
First, be aware there will be stories all day long about massive turnout. You will see TV reporters standing in front of extremely long lines at the polling places. You will hear about pro-Obama voters braving all kinds of hardships and obstacles to make it to the polling place to cast their ballot for The One. You will hear reports of polling places running out of ballots due to the huge turnout.
Most of the news will imply the turnout is due to overwhelming support for Obama, and you are supposed to believe Obama will win in a landslide.
This will be the election news most of the day, until sometime in the afternoon EST, when the next wave of information starts. Exit poll results showing Obama WAY UP will be published on the internet early in the afternoon, even before the polls on the east coast close. Don't believe the exit polls. I REPEAT -- DO NOT BELIEVE THEM.
The exit poll results are almost guaranteed to be bogus. Why? Two reasons -- first, there are Dem groups that manufacture bogus exit polls and feed them to internet site and talk shows. The intent is to demoralize GOP voters. Second, Dems tend to participate in exit polls more than GOP voters, which means even reputable polling companies don't have reliable data to make a prediction. SO DO NOT BELIEVE THE EXIT POLLS!
There will be discussion by late afternoon today of an Obama Landslide, possibly a veto-proof Senate. At this points, polls on the western half of the country will still be open.
Keep your sanity. Get yourself to the polls, then get your family and your relatives. Help a GOTV program if you can.
So when can you believe the news? Here's when: late in the day, long after the polls close and the real results start coming in, that's when you can believe the election news.
Ace has a good post on what to expect today. And Ace should know -- he got suckered by bogus exit polls 4 years ago. Here is his post from election day 2004, reporting exit poll info that turned out to be bogus.
5 comments:
I just got back from voting. As I was watching people, it hit me how many of them probably haven't given a thought about the issues, just about "making history" by electing the first black president. I've read the interviews and the McClatchy editorials and that's a commen thread. You just want to shake them and say "it's far more important than that!!" I hate to admit it but I'm afraid he'll win because of that ignorance. I'm curious. Where was this overwhelming fanatacism when Shirley Chisolm was running for president?
Only a Republican would make that statement. Who says your so smart? Just look at your statement and it reflects YOUR IGNORANCE.
PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't claim to be "so smart", just observant and stating my opinion. Or is that now allowed without a personal attack?
Just like you I have opinion that YOU ignorance is showing but that's only MY opinion that I am allowed to state..
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