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Election 2008 Latest Polls
Real Clear Politics ^ | None

Posted on 07/14/2008 4:23:54 PM PDT by drellberg

Election 2008 Latest Polls

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008polls; electionpresident; electoralcollege; polls
I write looking for clarity ... I am confused by these numbers. On the one hand, according to Real Clear Politics, Obama has massive, massive leads in a few high-population states like NY (+19), CA (+16), MA (+19), and IL (+15?). He also has smaller but still quite large leads in states like PA, NJ, and MI (+8), as well as WA (+9), WI (+11), IA (+10) and MN (+12). What this means to me is that in terms of the electoral college a lot of Democratic votes are being "wasted" where they are not needed.

In contrast, McCain has sizeable leads in high-population states only in the case of TX (+11) and TN (+16). McCain's TX lead is half of what Bush's was in 2004. The rest of the states where McCain is ahead are quite close, suggesting that McCain is relatively efficient at winning electoral votes.

Sooooo ... How is it that McCain is only behind by 3 points or so in the national polls and yet is getting trounced in all tallies around the electoral college?

Something seems amiss here, and my hypothesis is that the state polls tend to be much older, whereas the national polls have all been taken recently. If true, what this suggests is that as new state polls come out, they will show Obama's lead in the electoral college diminishing.

Is there merit to this? Or am I missing some other plausible hypothesis?

1 posted on 07/14/2008 4:23:55 PM PDT by drellberg
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To: drellberg

Polls lie and liars poll.


2 posted on 07/14/2008 4:26:04 PM PDT by big'ol_freeper ("Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words". ~ St. Francis of Assisi)
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To: drellberg

When are they going to stop this crap? They’ve been doing this since the first day after the last election and will do it DAILY until the next election and then will do it daily after . . .

Who cares? If they were accurate at all, then Algore and Kerry would’ve won . . . Hitlery would’ve been on the ticket and McInsane would be back in Arizona cooling off and . . . these polls are useless and very tiring . . .


3 posted on 07/14/2008 4:28:11 PM PDT by laweeks ( to)
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To: drellberg

I think the state polls need refreshing. Democrats in general are taking a beating of late. Obama has also stepped in it in a big way with his “learn Spanish” comments. He had better be careful, there is some growing angst in the black community concerning stuff like this.


4 posted on 07/14/2008 4:28:16 PM PDT by Maelstorm (Freedom isn't collecting an allowance from your locally elected offical.)
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To: drellberg

Obama is beating McCain by +16 in CA. On the eve of the primary, Obama was beating Hillary by +17. When the votes were counted, Obama lost by -10.

Lets keep this in mind when looking at the current polls.


5 posted on 07/14/2008 4:29:20 PM PDT by counterpunch (John McCain - For the LOVE of Country)
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To: drellberg

More ... Together, MI-LA-AR-KT-AL have 38 electoral votes, and McCain leads by something like 15 points there. So this is a partial offset. But this basically cancels out NY (+19).

There is still something mighty fishy about the math.


6 posted on 07/14/2008 4:30:08 PM PDT by drellberg
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To: drellberg

The following are true:

1. National polls are one day samples.

2. State polls are based on samples on different dates.

3. The US public has a history of lying to the public about voting for black candidates.


7 posted on 07/14/2008 4:34:34 PM PDT by JLS
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To: drellberg
Polls routinely oversample in dem strong holds. Besides, if history has shown us anything, polls at this point in the game are worthless.
8 posted on 07/14/2008 4:36:13 PM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: drellberg

If McScream loses either Ohio, VA, FL or Texas, he is toast.


9 posted on 07/14/2008 4:36:14 PM PDT by RetiredArmy (Congress in session, the White House occupied - Your freedom, liberty and rights are in jeopardy.)
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To: JLS

Not sure why the sampling dates would matter; and while I am open to the idea of lying about black candidates, but why in national polls but not state polls (or conversely)?


10 posted on 07/14/2008 4:37:17 PM PDT by drellberg
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To: big'ol_freeper

“There are lies, damn lies, and then there are statistics!” - Mark Twain


11 posted on 07/14/2008 4:39:17 PM PDT by llevrok (I love the Irish, just not O'Bama)
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To: drellberg

I think what you said about the age of the polls is likely spot on.


12 posted on 07/14/2008 5:08:12 PM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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To: drellberg
The answer is simple. It is the electoral college that matters over everything, which means it is winning in the right states that matterx over everything. Think of the 2000 election. The actual national poll that takes place on election day had George W. Bush losing to Al Gore. However, Bush won enough states, with enough electoral votes, to become president.

If you think McCain's close lead in some states means he is "efficient" at winning electoral votes, you might be in for a sad surprise come election day should places like Virginia and North Dakota turn out to be close losses instead.
13 posted on 07/14/2008 5:51:34 PM PDT by drjimmy
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To: Norman Bates

Dangerously close:

Ohio
Missouri
Virginia
Nevada

Likely to tip to Obama:

New Mexico
Colorado

As I see it, McCain needs to do all of his work in these states and he has to win all of them. I don’t see him taking a single Kerry state from 2004. He won’t win NH, PA, MI, or WI. I think he’ll carry FL comfortably. The fact that he’s still alive in this climate gives me some hope, but it’s looking like he’ll need an inside straight.


14 posted on 07/14/2008 5:59:46 PM PDT by zebrahead
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To: zebrahead

I think it’s too early to say. Obama will have a problem when his past votes are vetted in the run-up to the election. We haven’t yet begun to touch him.


15 posted on 07/14/2008 8:14:20 PM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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To: drellberg

The sampling dates could matter in that people might have different opinions at different times.


16 posted on 07/14/2008 8:38:07 PM PDT by JLS
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To: zebrahead

In many of the past elections the Dems were up double digits at this point. I would not get too worried.


17 posted on 07/15/2008 7:06:19 AM PDT by Vermont Lt (I am not from Vermont. I lived there for four years and that was enough.)
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To: Vermont Lt

Yeah but we have our work cut out for us in Ohio. Plus the Republicans in power were corrupt doesn’t exactly help things either.


18 posted on 07/18/2008 2:40:42 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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