Kerry 40, Edwards 35, Dean 18 - the networks were right to call it

[Dookus]

See? Exit polling works.

There was nothing unusual or unethical about calling the race when they did.

[Zynx]

1. They still called before Dane county was in.

That is irresponsible.

[Dookus]

I have no idea where Dane County is or why it's important...

the fact is, their exit polling was spot-on.

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. Dane county is Madison, the capitol. n/t

[mountainvue]

13. Why?

The polls were closed.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. The media was right to call it.

Kerry Wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cuban_Liberal]

3. What % of votes, and what counties are still out?

Sorta relevant info, IMO...

[Dookus]

5. that was 66% reporting

the point I'm trying to make is that exit polling is very reliable. They did nothing wrong by calling the race.

[Cuban_Liberal]

7. And if the numbers change?

Are they still reliable? I'm not a fan of calling races or primaries, until the votes are ALL counted, Guess that makes me odd...

[Dookus]

10. Well, obviously I disagree

There's no reason to count ALL the votes before calling a winner. The media's job is to bring us the news as quickly and as reliably as they can.

If they had a history of being wrong when making these calls, then I would agree with you. But they do not. They have an extraordinary success rate.

[robsul82]

6. They called while Edwards was up. Stupid.

And Kerry's at 39 according to CNN.

Later.

RJS

[Dookus]

8. correct

they didn't call a specific number for Kerry. They called a win for Kerry. They were right.

[Lefta Dissenter]

11. rob

I'm sure I missed plenty of threads on this, since my hubby and I were eating dinner, but I was going NUTS when natn'l was calling it for Kerry and the local count was showing Edwards up. Almost spit my pasta at the tv!

You could sure tell when Madison hit, though, because all of a sudden Dean's number shot up!

[lovedems]

9. And we know that Florida was not a mistake.

It was called for Gore and should have gone for Gore. The dumbass and his clan started screaming and I knew something was up. The rest is a bad page in history.

[Dookus]

12. absolutely right

in fact, the reliability of exit polls shows just how fucked up the Florida situation was. A sizeable majority of voters believed they had voted for Al Gore, and that was accurately reflected in the exit polls.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Exit polling does work, but...

I wonder how those poor folks survived back in the prehistoric early 1800's when they didn't even have the telegraph.

Took weeks for the votes to be counted and the news to get around.

The election is in November and the inauguration in January because news once moved at the speed of horse. As did the delegates and candidates.

Myself, I have little interest in the networks' competition to be the first with a presumed winner. I would be perfectly happy if all election totals and guesses were ignored until the results were actually in. Then, of course, everyone is free to fight over perceived slights, corruption, recounts, miscounts, and everything else that makes elections fun.

Methinks he "vote your conscience" peeps would like that, too. It's much easier to vote your conscience when you don't know what everyone else is doing.

[Dookus]

15. nobody

is suggesting calling elections while the polls are open.

But since the networks have an extraordinary success rate at calling elections based partially on exit polling, what's wrong with doing so?

[TreasonousBastard]

20. After the polls close... OK...

but it still seems a little silly. Not a big deal, just a timekiller.

It seems the sort of thing that's done because it can be done, not so much that it means anything. Another solution in search of a problem. Projecting the winner, that is.

Reporting the actual exit polling results, sans projections, is a great idea, though. Can't hurt to know what the voters were thinking while they were actually at the polls.

Should be some great stories there.

[The Magistrate]

17. Back In The Early Nineteenth Century, Sir

States did not even vote on the same day.

Party broadsheets would hype what were at least believed to be the totals from earlier states in the later ones....

An excellent and instructive work on the matter is Prof. Rimini's "Election of 1828".

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dookus]

18. What was I fed?

I was fed the news that Kerry won Wisconsin.

With 95% reporting, Kerry is winning by 6 points. The networks were right.

Unless you're going to argue that the numbers are faked, in which case we have a much different argument.

And it's Dookus, but you knew that.

[JasonBerry]

19. Dookus -- NOT Doofus -- just say no to name-calling ...N/T