Self-fulfilling assumptions January 12, 2008
Posted by Zack in Uncategorized , trackbackThe exit polls conducted in Iowa and New Hampshire last week did a funny thing: they only asked Republicans about church attendance and whether they considered themselves “born again Christians” or “evangelicals.” Likewise, they only asked Democrats about union membership.
The headlines after Iowa proclaimed, “Huckabee helped by Born Agains!” But should there also have been a headline, “Obama edges out Clinton thanks to Born Agains?” We’ll never know. And was Huckabee also helped by union voters? Again, no way to know.
And so the assumptions of the punditocracy go on fulfilling themselves. And we are presented with a picture of a more and more divided America.
See the NH exit polls yourself for Democrats and Republicans.
A lot of people have written about this already, e.g. here, here and here.
And now Faith in Public Life has released a letter signed by a gaggle of leaders, calling upon the networks to change:
Tag: 2008With voters entering polling sites in Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina in the coming days and weeks and Super Tuesday following shortly thereafter, it is imperative for you to remedy the imbalance in your exit polling immediately. Evangelicalism is not a monolithic movement that fits neatly into one party. For the sake of accuracy and dispelling shopworn stereotypes, we urge you to allow all evangelicals an opportunity to be represented in your surveys and polling data.
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