Iowa Democrats ask media to delay reporting poll results

SF Gate ^ | 1/14/04

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Iowa (AP) -- The Iowa Democratic Party, worried that caucus-goers could be swayed, asked a media consortium Wednesday to delay reporting entrance poll results the night of the Iowa caucuses.

In a letter to members of the National Election Pool, an exit poll consortium, Jean Hessburg, the state party's executive director, asked that reporting of entrance poll results be delayed at least 30 minutes after the caucuses are under way Monday night.

[Crazieman]

Yeah. They still don't seem all that concerned that Floriduh was called for Gore while the polls had 11 minutes to go.

[MJY1288]

I'm surprised Dan Rather hasn't called it for Dean already

[Mo1]

"Releasing your results just 30 minute later could make a huge difference in keeping our caucus night free from outside interference," she wrote.

Hmmmmm ... Democrats worried about voter fraud from other Democrats

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Brandon]

Okay, here's my take on this. To understand this complaint, you have to understand how the caucus works.

You start the evening with a bunch of people in a room, most of whom have never met before. At some point in the evening (early on for the Dems, but late in the process for the Pubbies), you ask everyone to divide into groups: Everyone for Dean in this corner, everyone for Gephardt over there, and so on. ("Undecideds" can also form a group.) You count the size of each group. Any group with less than 15% of the total is "non-viable" -- they then have to choose a new group. Repeat the process as necessary, until there are no groups smaller than 15% of the total.

So here's what the Dems are afraid of: those entrance polls are going to ask people who their first choice is, but a significant number of the people polled are going to wind up in a group that represents their second or third choice, as the non-viable groups reallign. That means that the entrance polls could be significantly different from what the final counts show. Specifically, the Dems are probably afraid that the entrance polls will show Dean trouncing Gephardt and Kerry, with all the other candidates in single digits. By the time the sorting and re-sorting has finished, they hope that Gephardt and Kerry will be much closer to Dean, but by then it will be too late -- Dean will have been reported to have won a major victory in Iowa, and Dick Gephardt's campaign will be toast.

[Michael.SF.]

"We fear the premature release of your findings may jeopardize or handicap the outcome "

These guys have no shame.

[Cultural Jihad]

They still don't seem all that concerned that Floriduh was called for Gore while the polls had 11 minutes to go.

Not to mention the whole other time zone which many Florida voters occupy.

[Iowegian]

That isn't how the cauci happen where I attend (in Iowa). Your description of the Dumbocrats is OK from my distant memory, but the Reps. take a straw poll at the beginning by secret ballot then announce the results, phone it in to Rep. state headquarters. Then later we vote for delegates to the convention, you vote for a delegate that will support your presidential candidate.

By the way I know a lot of people at my caucus, it was more like a church meeting for me (except for a few people who would never be caught inside a church).

[Howlin]

LOL.......ah, the irony!

[Iowegian]

If you think that Dems. are dirty in ballot elections, you don't even want to think about a caucus. They'll let almost anyone from anywhere vote. Please don't ask me how that is different than general elections in Democrat strongholds.

[deport]

I guess they think the caucus goers are going to be sitting around anxiously awaiting the media to report the polling data..... My guess is they will talking, milling about, trying to get into their groups and pleading for others to come join......

But yes it's funny to see them scream about this.... guess they maybe on record now to asked the media to not do so in future national elections.....

[Brandon]

I was describing the process in the Democratic caucuses, because that's what was relevent to the article. As for knowing each other -- in every precinct there will be regulars. In small precincts, especially in the off years (1998 or 2002) it is very possible that most of the people will know each other. But in a presidential year in a large precinct, especially in a campaign where at least one of the candidates (Dean) has been deliberately trying to draw new people into the process, I stand by my position that most of the attendees will not know each other.

[Iowegian]

Yes, I agree. I would add one point though. The bigger the precinct the easier it is to perpetrate fraudulant participation because people don't know each other there, for the most part.

[LittleLassieDog]

Everybody get ready for Democrat dirty tricks, part II: letting homeless people vote, passing out cigarettes, and registering dead people to vote.

[Mo1]

Now that I think about it more

Wasn't there a report or something about this caucuse and to except something like what happpened in Florida??

[GOPologist]

Didn't the Democratic media project the winner in Florida in 2000 resulting in many Republican voters not voting in the later time zone in the NW section because they THOUGHT that Bush had won and their votes were not needed.

Remember the result? The Demmos love to screw up elections one way or another.

[1Old Pro]

They've ALREADY been released. Dean, Gephardt, F'n Kerry.

[onyx]

Ah, the irony is right.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA