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decades of polling history say you are wrong random thoughts Send a noteboard - 07/10/2012 04:08:45 PM
Polls are 100% and there are multiple errors some of which have to do with sample size and some which do not but the reality is we so polls in conjunction with real world events to a degree that makes it clear they are measuring real events. If polls had so little accuracy we would seem them all over the place to a much greater degree and they would not as effective as they at predicting the winner.

Now it is fair to say that if polls show a race to be within three points then the race is basically up for grabs but the sample size of the polls is only one part of that. Right now there is about a 4 point difference in likely voter polls and registered voter polls. How accurate that likely voter model is vs. the actual turn out could easily decide the race and that wouldn’t change even if they polled a million people instead of 10,000. It is really hard to predict who will actually get off their ass and vote. Even if the model is dead on things like bad weather or a bad flu season can swing a race. My personal prediction is that since most of these models are based on who voted in the last election and the enthusiasm gap has done a 180 Romney will outperform the model and Obama will underperform the polls but we will have to wait and see.
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Romney CRUSHES Obama in First Debate - Leads Swing States by 4% - 04/10/2012 05:32:32 AM 1121 Views
So, is that from a "corrected", "non-skewed" poll? - 04/10/2012 05:51:58 AM 631 Views
Nope, I checked Betfair, the odds on Romney continue to drift - 04/10/2012 10:02:16 AM 719 Views
Wow, you suck at Googling! - 04/10/2012 01:14:22 PM 829 Views
No, you just apparently suck at math - 04/10/2012 07:17:20 PM 593 Views
I know you are sad, but your Messiah may still win.....you never know! - 04/10/2012 07:23:16 PM 660 Views
I'm more of a syndicalist, sorry - 04/10/2012 08:43:48 PM 692 Views
Ooh, would you mind talking more about syndicalism? - 04/10/2012 11:28:40 PM 599 Views
It really should be mandatory for everyone to read factcheck.org after every debate. *NM* - 04/10/2012 09:38:24 AM 369 Views
Seriously. The number of times I squinted and thought, "Wait, that doesn't sound quite right" - 04/10/2012 02:01:12 PM 722 Views
Romney addressed that head-on - 04/10/2012 02:13:44 PM 616 Views
Yeah, that "20 million" comment raised my eyebrows. - 04/10/2012 04:15:49 PM 977 Views
Why are you not counting the elderly? - 04/10/2012 07:33:28 PM 867 Views
Obama - Lost and Bewildered without Teleprompter.....funny stuff! - 04/10/2012 01:10:40 PM 647 Views
A2000, your message should read: - 04/10/2012 03:42:18 PM 669 Views
I consider the margin of error implied. - 04/10/2012 05:49:50 PM 574 Views
Unfortunately statistics does not support that. - 04/10/2012 06:11:56 PM 687 Views
Of course they do; the law of averages supports that. - 04/10/2012 06:46:27 PM 719 Views
Poll numbers aren't random so even if the law of averages could be applied to a small data set... - 04/10/2012 07:05:49 PM 597 Views
that is why you can't base things on just one poll - 05/10/2012 01:27:18 AM 774 Views
You are making the same mistake Joel is making. You should read our discussion. *NM* - 05/10/2012 01:50:01 AM 449 Views
there is a difference between statistical errors and model or method errors - 05/10/2012 03:28:38 AM 659 Views
There is a difference between the law of averages and the law of large numbers. - 05/10/2012 04:45:00 AM 854 Views
you left out part of that wiki quote you pasted - 05/10/2012 05:30:52 AM 799 Views
You still haven't justified the application of the law of large numbers. - 05/10/2012 12:24:51 PM 553 Views
I suggest you take some time to understand what I wrote and get back to me - 05/10/2012 01:12:03 PM 583 Views
I obviously must have missed where you justified the use of the law of large numbers. - 05/10/2012 04:43:51 PM 633 Views
WellI did that twice and I am waiting for you to refute what I said *NM* - 05/10/2012 05:28:18 PM 431 Views
Since you are unwilling to be helpful... - 05/10/2012 05:50:47 PM 743 Views
The law is a trend throughout, not a pass/fail based on if the number of polls is "large enough" - 06/10/2012 03:26:33 PM 728 Views
I'm not saying that the law of large numbers doesn't make the margin of error less when... - 06/10/2012 04:55:16 PM 609 Views
decades of polling history say you are wrong - 07/10/2012 04:08:45 PM 895 Views
can wait for Ryan vs Bozo the VP - 04/10/2012 06:07:30 PM 543 Views
+1 - that debate is going to be comical! - 04/10/2012 07:24:26 PM 658 Views
I would end up with alchohol posioning *NM* - 04/10/2012 10:16:51 PM 400 Views
If Biden performs as expected... - 04/10/2012 07:46:16 PM 691 Views
your take on obama's foreign policy debate performance does not seem like reality - 04/10/2012 08:00:51 PM 630 Views
I never would have thought Romney could lay such a beatdown on Obama as I saw last night. - 04/10/2012 08:55:46 PM 703 Views
we saw the anti-romney last night. i doubt obama is going to be so flat-footed against him next time - 04/10/2012 10:35:21 PM 629 Views
Hilarious. - 04/10/2012 11:20:32 PM 584 Views
Re: Hilarious. - 05/10/2012 12:27:33 AM 593 Views
Why can it not be both? - 05/10/2012 12:58:59 PM 732 Views
who would you consider our number one geopolitical foe? - 04/10/2012 10:12:53 PM 709 Views
China is far more dangerous. *NM* - 05/10/2012 07:23:06 AM 305 Views
Whoa, was not expecting that point of agreement. - 05/10/2012 12:35:35 PM 739 Views
I'm not frightened of them, but they're hardly an ally. *NM* - 05/10/2012 03:55:45 PM 406 Views
I am not frightened, but am concerned. - 06/10/2012 01:27:40 PM 711 Views
they may be more dangerous but that doesn't that doesn't automatically make them first - 05/10/2012 01:09:30 PM 711 Views
That's fair enough. *NM* - 05/10/2012 03:54:56 PM 352 Views
WOW - Even the liberal CNN Poll confirms Romney's crushing victory. - 04/10/2012 07:27:28 PM 739 Views
I could have crushed either of them in that debate - 04/10/2012 09:26:07 PM 720 Views
I watched it now. A few thoughts (albeit rather late): - 05/10/2012 09:46:02 PM 773 Views
You are correct on all points. - 07/10/2012 03:12:51 AM 881 Views
"There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe." - 07/10/2012 02:03:49 PM 1162 Views
you are missing a key point - 07/10/2012 04:34:17 PM 679 Views
Am I missing that point? I thought I said clearly enough that I thought Romney was better. *NM* - 07/10/2012 08:47:42 PM 413 Views
maybe, seemed that way to me - 08/10/2012 03:18:18 PM 656 Views

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