News Outlets Sweat Over Exit Poll Accuracy

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

When I tell people that I think Obama will win they roll their eyes and laugh at my naiveté. On public broadcast debate shows people argue over whether you can label America a democracy at all.

You aren't in the slightest offended by their ignorance of our political system? Or are you simply taking their skepticism at face value?

[djnemo65]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

You aren't in the slightest offended by their ignorance of our political system? Or are you simply taking their skepticism at face value?

I don't know what you mean by taking their skepticism at face value. I don't really go around getting offended by what people think unless it's blaming the Jews for 9/11 or something. The point is that the voter suppression that has occurred in the US has been high profile news in other countries but strangely not in our own. I think a lot of Americans have a blind faith that everything is working fine when it's not, that people aren't trying to game the system when they are. America's electoral system is consistently ranked below other democratic nations by organizations like Freedom House and Amnesty International.

I would also add that on the eve of the 04 election only 1/3 of polled respondents in a NY Times poll indicated that they were confident their vote would be counted. I have an African-American friend who doesn't plan on voting because, in his words, they are just gonna steal it again. Should I be offended by their and his "ignorance" too?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

I don't know what you mean by taking their skepticism at face value. I don't really go around getting offended by what people think unless it's blaming the Jews for 9/11 or something. The point is that the voter suppression that has occurred in the US has been high profile news in other countries but strangely not in our own. I think a lot of Americans have a blind faith that everything is working fine when it's not, that people aren't trying to game the system when they are. America's electoral system is consistently ranked below other democratic nations by organizations like Freedom House and Amnesty International.

I would also add that on the eve of the 04 election only 1/3 of polled respondents in a NY Times poll indicated that they were confident their vote would be counted. I have an African-American friend who doesn't plan on voting because, in his words, they are just gonna steal it again. Should I be offended by their and his "ignorance" too?

You know we have a whole thread on voter fraud. And let's not act like buying/stealing votes is something exclusive to the Republican party or that it's something new. But if people take comfort in using that as a crutch when things don't go their way, that's their problem. Politics is, and always has been, a dirty business. I don't think either side has been completely clean ever.

[djnemo65]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

You know we have a whole thread on voter fraud. And let's not act like buying/stealing votes is something exclusive to the Republican party or that it's something new. But if people take comfort in using that as a crutch when things don't go their way, that's their problem. Politics is, and always has been, a dirty business. I don't think either side has been completely clean ever.

I'm not talking about buying or stealing votes. I'm talking about legitimate voters being denied the right to vote. The fact that dead people voted for Kennedy in 1960 doesn't make that OK. Politics has historically been dirty, sure, but you accept that? I don't. Demanding anything short of perfection from our electoral system and democracy is pretty unpatriotic to me.

And I was responding to First's comment in this thread.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

I'm not talking about buying or stealing votes. I'm talking about legitimate voters being denied the right to vote. The fact that dead people voted for Kennedy in 1960 doesn't make that OK. Politics has historically been dirty, sure, but you accept that? I don't. Demanding anything short of perfection from our electoral system and democracy is pretty unpatriotic to me.

And I was responding to First's comment in this thread.

After the 2000 election and all the bickering about voter fraud from the dem it was clear that they were just blowing smoke. I really cannot believe that people are saying the the republcans are guilty of this and the dems just get a free ride. The only time the dems complain about voters fraud is when they loose an election for example both of Bushes victories. This past election when the Dems won so many seats in congress we did not hear one thing about voter fraud.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by firstdown

This past election when the Dems won so many seats in congress we did not hear one thing about voter fraud.

The 2006 Exit Poll Controversy By Mark Lindeman