Dan Rather: Disregard the current polls

[book_worm]

(In other words post convention polls always show a bump for a candidate):

NEW YORK -- The candidates have accepted their parties' nominations. The running mates are in place. Now it begins in earnest.

First thing is: Don't heed the polls you're seeing right now. Sure, by midweek, the Web site Real Clear Politics was showing an average lead for Barack Obama of about six points, with the Democratic nominee cracking 50 percent for the first time in the Gallup Poll. It's not bad news for Obama, but then it's not really news at all.

If Obama hadn't seen some sort of polling "bounce" in the wake of the Democratic Convention -- now, that may have been news.

Second thing is: It would be a mistake to guess -- as many pundits are trying to right now -- that one knows how the respective vice-presidential picks are going to affect the guys at the top of the tickets. One interpretation of Obama's rise in the polls is that it reflects voter disaffection with John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as much as it does approval of the Democrats' doings in Denver.

Edited to 4 paragraphs to conform to DU's fairuse policy for copyrighted material

Lithos
DU Moderator

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/377970_ratheronline07.html

[Window]

1. K/R.

:kick:

[azmouse]

2. K&R

[azmouse]

13. another kick

[yellerpup]

3. Dan Rather is a Journalist! eom

:kick:

[intheflow]

4. Good piece!

Thanks for posting--very good read this afternoon.

[Kdillard]

5. Kick for common sense.

[VolcanoJen]

6. K&R

Very good read.

Sometimes it really helps to have a little perspective, ya know?

[scarletwoman]

7. Wait! Wait! Where's the hysteria! Are you sure it's okay to post something so logical & analytic?

You're interrupting all the wailing and garment-rending. Tsk.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

8. Thanks! K&R

[gratefultobelib]

9. I can't help it. I glance at one negative poll and it depresses the heck out of me.

[trudyco]

12. For me it was hearing Kerry up, then waking up and hearing he

lost...when the polls were close. That sinking feeling. On top of the Supreme Court sell out to Bush. It's sort of a political PTSD I think. Any poll that has the Dems behind does this to me.

But, with Obama, I really see more of my independent friends/family voting for Obama than they did for Dems in previous years. I really expect him to be above 50%. Unless they cheat. Starting with the polls. They just don't jive with my reality this year.

[MarjorieG]

10. Except they want a distraction.

[Raine]

11. Go Dan!!! nt

[phleshdef]

14. Damnit, someone give this man his job back...

...its damn high time that happens. The general public is wiser about what happened back in 04 and I think a Dan Rather return would be welcomed with open arms.

[young_at_heart]

15. Thank you Dan----you have raised my spirits quite a bit

My husband and I stopped watching CBS News---been watching it since 1959---when Bob left the show. Les Moonves ruined it.

[DangerousRhythm]

16. Thank you, Dan Rather!

An article which uses... logic? What is this thing?

:D

Thanks for posting it. :)

[Cha]

17. Thanks Dan Rather..one of my heros who is

a lot better off being fired by les moonves than the sucky corporatemediawhore$ still on the big 3.

[McCamy Taylor]

18. Excellent analysis.