I used to hate polls, until I saw how they could be used for good (as opposed to evil) by simply understanding your audience better. But unfortunately they tend to become crack to politicians and political organizations (PP included). Obviously things have gone too far when the polls affect themselves, as they did during the 2004 presidential primary. Instead of measuring how the candidates were doing, the polls were affecting how the canidadates were doing. Not good, not scientific.
Anyway, I have to admit that I have now become a poll junkie. The worst kind are probably exit polls which survey people as they leave the voting booth. I learned (while watching Jon Stewart, natch) last night that all the major news outlets get exit polls early, but they don’t release the numbers until the election booths close in the respective states. I think this is a good thing. BUT. I. Want. Numbers!
Fortunately,
dailyKOS.com
and
Wonkette.com
are satisfying my craving. And the numbers look good! Don’t go dancing in the streets quite yet. But I’ll be glad to see that in this case, I was wrong and my boyfriend was right. ;}