“...even though many here viciously eschewed such open speculating.”
I hear ya. I had everything from my motivations to my parentage impugned because I posted that if Rasmussen said Obama was going to win, Obama was going to win.
Your point about Ras vs. TIPP is right on. Ras’ final prediction is his final poll result, no sauce applied, unlike almost all the others, who make a final prediction that may be several points off their final poll.
You are correct that the aggregate averages of the polls were highly accurate in the last several elections. But, in four years, if the pollsters don’t have the Pubbie winning, the same Freepers will come out of the woodwork asserting that ALL the polls are ALWAYS wrong and skewed toward the Dems, even when confronted with hard evidence to the contrary. Such vicious, widespread, galloping mendacity is why I’m mostly a lurker these days.
you’re right
this past election taught me that many freepers are blowhards with a poor grasp of the facts and little capacity for rational thought, behave as chat room bullies and aren’t worth spitting on
we’re about 1/3rd loudmouths, 1/3rd decent folks and 1/3 ambivalent types
this forum brings out the best and worst in folks
and I’m not without guilt myself at times
That left a disproportionate number of radical loons here...
I can't tell you how often I got blasted for saying what I believed... My final prediction was 52-46 for Zero, so... I was just about spot on...
I disagree about 4 years from now... There's NO way that the polls can be discounted yet again, and FReepers that do, will be laughed off the forum... I'll lead the charge.