Don't trust polls and don't trust people who trust polls: A reminder for activists
Any reader of this blog who considers himself or herself to be an activist — as opposed to a commentator or talking head of some sort — would do well to take the following advice to heart over the next eighteen hours: Don't trust polls and don't trust people who trust polls.
At this point, all polls do is interfere with GOTV efforts. Let the brain-dead traditional media salivate over last-minute polls conducted over the weekend.
Activism is all about advancing causes and finishing first in elections, not picking winners and losers. A strong-willed activist works to shape the destiny of the country, instead of being resigned to being blown around by whatever winds happen to be blowing. A responsible activist refuses to waste his or her time hanging on Nate Silver's every last word when he or she could be calling voters or going door to door to help get out the vote.
Those who want to help shape the future are going to act. There'll be plenty of time for handwringing and analysis after the election.
Now is the time to ask friends, family, and neighbors to vote. The simple truth is, we don't know what is going to happen in this election. Anything could happen. The electoral landscape is constantly shifting.
Admittedly, it's hard not to panic when the ground is unstable. An earthquake is a panic-inducing phenomenon. The other side wants us to believe that we're going to be the victims of the most one-sided electoral earthquake in history, an earthquake so big it'll erase all the gains we made in both 2006 and 2008 (except capturing the presidency) so that Democrats will be so unnerved that we won't act. They've tried their best to set up a trap.
We have to dodge the trap.
The last thing we want is to go down in history as the generation that was overcome by corporate wealth, Republican dirty tricks, and a brain-dead media.
Remember: Don't trust polls and don't trust people who trust polls. Lousy polling is no excuse not to be helping with get out the vote efforts.
If, between now and the hour that polls close or the deadline passes to get ballots in the mail, you hear someone who should know better say, What's the use? We're going to lose anyway... We're headed for defeat... adapt that famous battle cry of Admiral Farragut's and tell 'em, Damn the polls! Full speed ahead!
At this point, all polls do is interfere with GOTV efforts. Let the brain-dead traditional media salivate over last-minute polls conducted over the weekend.
Activism is all about advancing causes and finishing first in elections, not picking winners and losers. A strong-willed activist works to shape the destiny of the country, instead of being resigned to being blown around by whatever winds happen to be blowing. A responsible activist refuses to waste his or her time hanging on Nate Silver's every last word when he or she could be calling voters or going door to door to help get out the vote.
Those who want to help shape the future are going to act. There'll be plenty of time for handwringing and analysis after the election.
Now is the time to ask friends, family, and neighbors to vote. The simple truth is, we don't know what is going to happen in this election. Anything could happen. The electoral landscape is constantly shifting.
Admittedly, it's hard not to panic when the ground is unstable. An earthquake is a panic-inducing phenomenon. The other side wants us to believe that we're going to be the victims of the most one-sided electoral earthquake in history, an earthquake so big it'll erase all the gains we made in both 2006 and 2008 (except capturing the presidency) so that Democrats will be so unnerved that we won't act. They've tried their best to set up a trap.
We have to dodge the trap.
The last thing we want is to go down in history as the generation that was overcome by corporate wealth, Republican dirty tricks, and a brain-dead media.
Remember: Don't trust polls and don't trust people who trust polls. Lousy polling is no excuse not to be helping with get out the vote efforts.
If, between now and the hour that polls close or the deadline passes to get ballots in the mail, you hear someone who should know better say, What's the use? We're going to lose anyway... We're headed for defeat... adapt that famous battle cry of Admiral Farragut's and tell 'em, Damn the polls! Full speed ahead!
# Posted by Andrew : 12:47 PM
Comments:
Tell me about it.
It's like reading the tabloids where "batboy" is in the lead.
I think, I hope, the Tea Party is in for a big surprise since all they did is the blame game, while feed you with misinformation, and a lot of their candidates have shown with "pride" what whack jobs they are as if God will vote them in because of their belief that they're the righteous, despite being proven as frauds in some way.
These candidates' point of view of freedom and liberty are quite different to what we see it as, especially since they plan to give themselves more power, which might be what the smaller government thing is about, get rid of anything that gets in their way, "their" way, not ours.
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