my worry: the "secret racism" polling will be used as excuse to steal 08 from Obama

[zazen]

I don't doubt that 10-15% of the white voting public (and maybe a few minorities, too) have some racist misgivings about electing Obama.

But, any focus now on polling that supposedly finds that whites are 'secretly racist' but won't say it to pollsters provides cover for any election tamperers come November. I can see it now. The broadcasters (except mercifully MSNBC) will declare that Americans really weren't ready to accept an African American president, and the polls truly weren't accurate because whites wouldn't tell the truth to pollsters. This would definitely have been par for the course 04. I don't know if they can get away with in 08, but it's readymade.

Thoughts? Hopefully the double-digit lead will remain and he'll either sweep it or force Bush to declare martial law to stop him from succeeding, but if the lead narrows, I wouldn't be surprised by these tactics.

[villager]

1. as with the Gallup "poll" today, we have to be on guard about their groundwork for theft

...laying out their narrative for the MSM in advance, etc...

[FrenchieCat]

2. That's a far stretch.....

that poll responders will say one thing for the benefit of stealing the elections.

I think most poll responders, due to their anonimity will say exactly what is on their mind to pollsters.

But I think that there are as many if not more who won't admit that they don't want to vote for John McCain because he is so old.

Ageism is real. So you need to factor it in.

and stop worrying so much, otherwise, you may not last till the election. :eyes:

[zazen]

6. I'm not saying responders are part of Repub strategy, but that the data will be USED this way

Just a heads up on their rationale. I think they used the gay marriage propositions in 2002, in a somewhat similar vein--that people who voted Republican (the mystery votes) were secretly going out to vote against gay marriage and voted Republican along with it. And everyone went along.

But this is more sophisticated. It's a truism that people lie about racism/sexism/ and other isms in poll interviews, so truthfully, maybe 1% of people really won't vote for him come November despite being asked now whether race is a factor (and saying no) and saying they're voting for Obama. It MIGHT happen with a small percentage.

But it provides dangerous cover, through a more prima facie plausible explanation, for an "unexplained" Obama loss, that can be used by election manipulators.

I agree with Mark Crispin Miller and believe we should be vigilant about any and all tactics they would use. Several of these folks are facing jail time, if the Senate were filibuster proof and we keep the House Majority and take the White House.

I just say, Obama Campaign, have a comeback for this argument. Design and conduct some study proactively that undermines the argument.

Okay. Met my day's quota of worrying. : - )

[WA98070]

3. DUH!!! It was set at the start either racism or sexism and we fell for it.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Could you elaborate?

Thanks!

[papapi]

5. I think I understand. Whether or not there is secret 'racism' the . . .

M-$$$-M will invent it, or have already invented it, in order to steal the election. I have to believe that 'secret racism' exists far more in repugnantcan ranks than in Democratic ranks. If you hate, you're a repugnantcan by definition in my lowly opinion.

I think a lost election in November will be the beginning of the end. The word 'revolution' comes to mind.

[Sparkly]

7. "The Bradley Effect"

I thought the same thing: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Sparkly/75

[zazen]

8. Dang, Sparkly, you did. Kudos to you!

I hope if it's occurred to both of us, it's occurred to their communications team. I hope they're giving this some thought and planning.

[chapel hill dem]

9. Obama's team needs to run the race like they are down by 5% in every state n/t