“He may have just committed professional suicide.”
I don’t think this is true. I just don’t think he showed up for this last round. And an important round it is!
But to be fair:
The relative polling accuracy of Rasmussen.
http://www.fordham.edu/images/academics/graduate_schools/gsas/elections_and_campaign_/poll%20accuracy%20in%20the%202008%20presidential%20election.pdf
The following list ranks the 23 organizations by the accuracy of their final, national pre-election polls (as reported on pollster.com).
1. Rasmussen (11/1-3)**
1. Pew (10/29-11/1)**
2. YouGov/Polimetrix (10/18-11/1)
3. Harris Interactive (10/20-27)
4. GWU (Lake/Tarrance) (11/2-3)*
5. Diageo/Hotline (10/31-11/2)*
5. ARG (10/25-27)*
6. CNN (10/30-11/1)
6. Ipsos/McClatchy (10/30-11/1)
7. DailyKos.com (D)/Research 2000 (11/1-3)
8. AP/Yahoo/KN (10/17-27)
9. Democracy Corps (D) (10/30-11/2)
10. FOX (11/1-2)
11. Economist/YouGov (10/25-27)
12. IBD/TIPP (11/1-3)
13. NBC/WSJ (11/1-2)
14. ABC/Post (10/30-11/2)
15. Marist College (11/3)
16. CBS (10/31-11/2)
17. Gallup (10/31-11/2)
18. Reuters/ C-SPAN/ Zogby (10/31-11/3)
19. CBS/Times (10/25-29)
20. Newsweek (10/22-23)
Why on earth would one of the most high profile, most well-respected polling companies in the nation sit out the last week of what is arguably one of the most important elections in recent US history?
Makes absolutely no sense, and neither does his making any predictions about the eventual outcome of this race, given the above.
Unlike others, I have no theory as to why he sat out the last week in Massachusetts. My only point is that he's now damaged his reputation as a pollster for coming out with this curious (and unsubstantiated) call on the election outcome.