Actually, on the eve of the 1980 election virtually all of them said the race was too close to call. That was the consensus heading in to election day. IIRC, only one poll, the Harris poll, showed Reagan had a lead outside the margin of error.
You mean they got more honest at the very end.
For the vast majority of the campaign they were talking about a Carter blowout and how the extreme Reagan couldn’t win.
The “polls” always tighten at the end to give them credibility and to make sure their side doesn’t get to confident.
Complete manipulation.