I've wondered if the initial, "incorrect" call of the 2000 Florida presidential election wasn't because the exit polls sampled the way people thought they'd voted instead of how their votes got --or didn't get--counted...
/jwc
----- Original Message ----- From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> To: lbo-talk <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 12:36 PM Subject: majorities
> I finally rejoined the American Association for Public Opinion
> Research after letting my membership lapse for a year or two. This
> gem was just posted to their listserv by the holder of an endowed
> chair at a major school of journalism. Commenting on the risks of
> early release of exit poll data influencing voters who haven't yet
> cast their ballots, this distinguished professor observed:
>
> >If you want to jump on the winner's bandwagon, that's good,
> >because democracy needs consensus and those willing to go along with the
> >majority just because it is a majority should be encouraged.
>
> Doug