Reply #42: autorank's Christmas Holiday Offer of Unity-Intellectual Honesty Spurned!

[autorank]

Previously, I said:

"An intellectually honest position for all involved would be to demand that the data be released universally, not just to "favorites," and demand that that be done immediately. On this, I am sure, we can all agree.

As one of my favorite DU posters, understandlinglife says,

NAMASTE"

"Unity" defined:

1. The combination or arrangement of parts into a whole; unification.
2. A combination or union thus formed.

==>I suggested that those who disagree on a subset of issues, the validity and usefulness of the Exit Polls, reach a state of "unity" on a common position, a "union" of concerned citizens.

"Intellectual Honesty" defined:

A Broad Definition of Intellectual Honesty: Honesty in the acquisition, analysis, and transmission of ideas. (University of California, Irvine Guidelines)

I suggested that a union of those who endorse and those who criticize the Exit Poll analysis be formed to insist that the raw data from the exit polls be released. I've suggested this before but at this point I thought there would be a real chance to reach a "union." The drawbacks of such a release are nil. Confidentiality of subjects can be protected with the same procedures available in other disciplines. It's not hard and we should hear that argument again.

The only argument against the broad release of the raw exit poll data, as requested by Rep. Conyers, rests on an intellectually dishonest position on "the acquisition, analysis, and transmission of ideas." In this case, the ideas in question are democracy, a free people, government through the rule of law, transparency in government, etc. The failure to endorse this open policy leaves us with only the "raw power" approach of Mitofsky and the Corporate Media consortium which owns the data: IT'S OUR DATA AND YOU CAN'T HAVE IT. TAKE A HIKE.

Surely we can all agree that the intellectually honest position is a united front insisting in unambiguous terms that the data be released.

I can assume that the vast majority of DU would favor this. How about the exit poll critics?

It's that time of year.