After a spate of recent polls showing the presidential race in something like a dead heat, liberals were ecstatic to see a poll showing Obama way ahead in Virginia, an important battleground state:
I know it's just one poll, but Obama by EIGHT in Virginia? I had no idea there were so many entitled poor people there.
— dismantle the mpd (@anamariecox) September 18, 2012
Dam has burst. RT @TheFix: New WaPo poll in VA: Obama 52%, Romney 44% among likely voters. http://t.co/WuWMljrn
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) September 18, 2012
There was a time, not too long ago, when pollsters released their results and no one could question them. But in the age of Twitter, polls’ methodological flaws can be exposed in real time:
https://twitter.com/freedom_wire/status/248121910733459458
That’s right: the WaPo sample was 32D/24R/35I, or D+8.
By comparison, the 2008 Virginia exit poll sample, taken when Obama-mania was at its peak, was 39D/33R/27I, or D+6.
In other words, the Washington Post poll presumes a political environment in Virginia that is more hospitable to Democrats today than in 2008.
Not likely:
https://twitter.com/steebo77/status/248111313555959808
https://twitter.com/OrwellForce/status/248119281961803777
Who still thinks this poll should be taken seriously?
Related:
Rasmussen poll of Virginia: Obama 49, Romney 48
Gallup: Obama’s post-convention bounce is gone
Rasmussen Colorado poll: Romney 47, Obama 45
Shhh! Top-secret Rasmussen poll shows Romney still up by 2
Erick Erickson says Romney is losing; Rasmussen begs to differ
Ezra Klein: ‘If you look at the numbers, the Romney campaign is in serious trouble’
David Frum: Romney is losing because he doesn’t pander enough
Hat tip: @FigDrewton.
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