Comments on: Poll Update: Giuliani moves ahead of Thompson by one http://www.bloggernews.net/19192 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:47:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Laura http://www.bloggernews.net/19192#comment-71688 Laura Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:09:59 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/19192#comment-71688 Why are so many candidates hanging in with 3% or less? In my opinion, the incessant televised TV debates are to blame. Who has to spend money on paid advertising when it's so easy to get your face in front of the public for free and so often? Combine that with 24 hour cable news programs all eager to bag the candidates for their shows (also free face time) and you have to wonder why these campaigns need so much more money than they did 20 years ago. Who will benefit when the 3 percenters or less drop out, if they ever do? Why are so many candidates hanging in with 3% or less? In my opinion, the incessant televised TV debates are to blame. Who has to spend money on paid advertising when it’s so easy to get your face in front of the public for free and so often? Combine that with 24 hour cable news programs all eager to bag the candidates for their shows (also free face time) and you have to wonder why these campaigns need so much more money than they did 20 years ago.

Who will benefit when the 3 percenters or less drop out, if they ever do?

]]> By: Denis http://www.bloggernews.net/19192#comment-70969 Denis Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:16:52 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/19192#comment-70969 It will be interesting to see what happens in the Iowa straw poll this weekend. And if the results agree with the polls. I have always been curious if the polls follow the opinions of the people OR the opinions of the people follow the polls. We all seem to mainly like to pick winners. An interesting experiment: I wonder if anyone has ever taken several polls and doctored the numbers so that a 2% candidate is listed as 20%. And then done a real poll a month later to see if people NOW think more highly of the candidate. I wonder how that could experiment could be done. In any case I would bet that candidates below 10% in the Iowa straw poll should seriously consider dropping out because they are likely wasting their time. I wonder if Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, or Tommy Thompson would quit if they did not do better than their poll numbers indicated. What would they be expecting to happen if they did poorly and did not? Marry into money, even more exposure than 4 debates that the die hards and many angry voters have already been paying attention to. I am not sure what strengths of character and charisma would become available to the public. As for novel ideas, Ron Paul clearly stands out from the rest of the Bush followers; but surely after one finally wins the Republican nomination they must have a plan to deal with the Iraq war that is different from Bush. 70% of Americans think Bush is an idiot in the way he is dealing with Iraq (only 40% of Republicans think poorly of Bush). The problem is that Democrats are going to put up a national health insurance woman and a green black man with great charisma in a largely sexist and racist nation. Each side seems bound and determined to nominate the weakest candidates they can find, so that the other side has a chance. But then again that is what we had with the two Yale bonesman in Bush and Kerry in 2004! It is going to be a heck of an interesting election year. Or maybe not!? It will be interesting to see what happens in the Iowa straw poll this weekend. And if the results agree with the polls.
I have always been curious if the polls follow the opinions of the people OR the opinions of the people follow the polls. We all seem to mainly like to pick winners.

An interesting experiment: I wonder if anyone has ever taken several polls and doctored the numbers so that a 2% candidate is listed as 20%. And then done a real poll a month later to see if people NOW think more highly of the candidate.
I wonder how that could experiment could be done.

In any case I would bet that candidates below 10% in the Iowa straw poll should seriously consider dropping out because they are likely wasting their time. I wonder if Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, or Tommy Thompson would quit if they did not do better than their poll numbers indicated.

What would they be expecting to happen if they did poorly and did not? Marry into money, even more exposure than 4 debates that the die hards and many angry voters have already been paying attention to. I am not sure what strengths of character and charisma would become available to the public. As for novel ideas, Ron Paul clearly stands out from the rest of the Bush followers; but surely after one finally wins the Republican nomination they must have a plan to deal with the Iraq war that is different from Bush. 70% of Americans think Bush is an idiot in the way he is dealing with Iraq (only 40% of Republicans think poorly of Bush). The problem is that Democrats are going to put up a national health insurance woman and a green black man with great charisma in a largely sexist and racist nation.

Each side seems bound and determined to nominate the weakest candidates they can find, so that the other side has a chance. But then again that is what we had with the two Yale bonesman in Bush and Kerry in 2004!

It is going to be a heck of an interesting election year. Or maybe not!?

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