15% Of Ohio Reporting...Why call for Obama???

http://www.abcnews.com ^ | 11/4/08 | Jack

[molly_jack2007]

How can anyone call Ohio with ONLY 15% of the votes counted?????

[DBCJR]

Called PA with less than 1%

[fetal heart beats by 21st day]

I agree. This is stupid.

[RangerM]

It’s strange.

I’m following other sites and apparently (if believable) there are still many in line in Ohio.

Not saying it’ll go McCain (I hope not), but it’s unusual nonetheless.

[KarlInOhio]

The exit polls said that Obama won Ohio. They just had to check some precincts to make sure that their results were matching with the exit polls. The only hope is that the precincts they chose to do exit polls in were not representative of the state.

[Harry Wurzbach]

I agree. Some of these calls seem to be a bit early. If the networks are using the exit poll data, well, who knows...

[Ballygrl]

I think all these news organizations shouldn’t be on the air until 11PM eastern time, at least when the polls close in the west, and I don’t think they should be making predictions this fast. I’m looking at the Ohio map and it’s insane that they’re calling it this soon.

[DAC21]

statistical analysis of actual voting patterns, not exit polls. Fairly accurate

[PhilDragoo]

Standard propaganda to suppress the vote.

[Rudder]

I am shocked at the large number of FReeper surrender monkeys here tonight. Not one worth sharing a foxhole with.

[wiseprince]

They are dying to make history. They need to get the party started early.

[ForbesFan]

Rush said today that many states would be erroneously called too early for Obama...... Let’s hope he’s right...

[coalman]

I think PA and OH will be extremely close,I am still hoping for a win,myself.

[Pinkbell]

I don’t know. The secretary of state’s website has McCain winning by a slight margin:

http://vote.sos.state.oh.us/pls/enrpublic/f?p=130:MYRESULTS:0

[reasonisfaith]

With only 15% of the votes counted, McCain can still win Ohio.

[Ballygrl]

The problem is though that counties that are leaning Obama are actually tied when you click on them.

[Stat Man]

“statistical analysis of actual voting patterns, not exit polls. Fairly accurate”

Great response. Nicer than what I might have replied, something like, “Because they go by ACTUAL MATH rather than by WISHFUL THINKING.”

[alecqss]

Another strange thing - Florida State Official Division of Elections consistently gives count around 49% to 49%. ABC nevertheless consistently reports 52%-48% in Obama favor. Where they get those “results”?

[BigKahuna]

They’re using the WPE (”Within Precinct Error”) margins on the exit polls (which show an Obama lead), and which also are coming in pretty close to what the actual 15% of those precincts have reported out, so far. That means that even if they were off (the exit polls, that is) by 4 to 10%, the margins on the WPEs are still so close to the actual tallies, McCain seems to be losing.

It’s a statistical analysis tool, and the nets are jumping on it, based on the polls and the fact that the WPEs are validating the polls, to a large extent. So they feel safe in predicting that that the trends will hold, which they normally do when the WPEs are close to the exit poll numbers.

I’m a McCain supporter, and so’s my wife. It’s bitter gall, right now.

BK
(LCDR, USN, RET)

[RangerM]

It’s strange.

I’m following other sites and apparently (if believable) there are still many in line in Ohio.

Not saying it’ll go McCain (I hope it DOES go McCain), but it’s unusual nonetheless.

(Correction. Sorry about that. The site is kinda screwy tonight)