Election 2008 Making Pollsters Look Foolish

In New Hampshire, people that make their living from conducting polls both before elections and with exit polls on election day were completely wrong when the votes were tabulated. What happened? Well if you ask the pollsters most likely they will blame to people being asked the questions by accusing them of lying. While I am sure some people lie to pollsters about whom they intend to vote for, there are more sinister reasons why polls in New Hampshire and elsewhere are so wrong. I believe the problem with polling is not in the mathematical formulas used to sample the opinions of potential voters, but in the people they use to make the telephone calls and stand in the snow to obtain exit poll information.

Just like the major news media, regular people working for a polling organization will have their own personal favorites in a campaign and my thinking is that some of these poll workers are fudging the numbers that are giving to them by voters exiting their polling location. On several occasions I have been approached by an exit poll worker after leaving a voting location. On each occasion I gave honest answers about my age and whom I voted for to these workers. However, I did not stay around long enough to see if these workers wrote down what I told them or did they write down something else.

When someone, even a poll worker, supports a candidate with all their heart and soul. It is not difficult for me to believe that they might fudge the real answers of voters in order to make their person candidate of choice look better. In some ways and to some people, winning is everything. So if a poll worker starts adding up in their own head how many people are supporting another candidate, they might just decide to help their own candidate of choice out with a few changed votes of their own. I doubt if polling organization could afford to have two different exit poll people at each location just to keep them honest and really that might not work either because both of the exit poll workers could support the same candidate and make the problem even worse.

I am glad that in the 2008 elections so far that the only people that are getting the correct result as to who won and who lost are the people actually counting the votes after the primaries.

Read more about 2008 Elections:

Obama/Clinton, Let's Play Nice For Now
GOP Candidates Compare Themselves To Ronald Reagan
Massive Voter Turn Out In New Hampshire Primary
Ron Paul Supporters Are Angry At Media
Ron Paul/Duncan Hunter Snubbed By Fox/ABC News

January 16, 2008 Archives

Judge To OJ Simpson, You're Either Arrogant Stupid Or Both

A Las Vegas judge told OJ Simpson in a bail hearing today that he was either arrogant, stupid or both as she raised his bail amount. OJ Simpson got into trouble with this judge because he left a threatening phone message to someone else involved in the case. District Judge Jackie Glass looked tough as nails today as she told OJ Simpson that she would not put up with any more of his games. Then she double the amount of bail he must post in order to get back out of jail.

In a court system that has not seem fair in the past, Judge Jackie Glass was a breath of fresh air today. OJ Simpson has been able to get away with anything he wanted to do his entire life, but finally Judge Glass stood up to this guy in a language that I'll bet he understood. While I was listening to Judge Glass tell off OJ Simpson from the bench today, I was glad that OJ Simpson did not have a knife handy. Everyone that has follow OJ Simpson since the time he was put on trial for the murder of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman has seen how bad OJ Simpson's temper can be.

Apparently, Judge Jackie Glass is not afraid of OJ Simpson because if she was the least bit worried about her personal safety, she would not have been as blunt with him today. Sometimes a judge must climb down to the lowest possible level to get their meaning across to an out-of-control defendant. Today, Judge Glass tore into OJ Simpson like a parent would tear into a child that really messed something up. The next big issues will be where in the world is OJ Simpson going to come up with the money necessary for him to once again get bonded out of jail? Remember, the the Goldman's are still watching his every move in order to satisfy their civil judgment against him.

In some ways listening to Judge Glass today reminded me of watching Judge Judy on television. Both of these women are no nonsense personalities and both are fun to watch on television. The next time I'm in Las Vegas I think I will be extra good because if I happen to get arrested, I could be looking for justice from Judge Jackie Glass and that would not be a pleasant experience after watching her dress down OJ Simpson today.

Read more about OJ Simpson:

Back To Jail For OJ Simpson, Bail Revoked
OJ Simpson Will Stand Trial In Las Vegas
OJ Simpson Faces Justice In Las Vegas Court
OJ Simpson 'No Vacancy' At Top Las Vegas Hotels
Please - Not Another OJ Simpson Trial

Nice Judges Equal Poor Ratings For American Idol

Last night's premiere of American Idol had lower ratings than the previous years premiere and some people are speculating as to the reasons why. While I did not watch last nights American Idol premiere, I did read that all of the judges, including Simon Cowell, were kind to the bad contestants. Could it be that the American people are so twisted that we are only happy when Simon, Paula and Randy tear into bad contestants like a shark would tear into raw meat? While it is fun to watch American Idol judges make fun of terrible contestants, in a way it is also morally wrong to gain pleasure from someone else's misfortune.

While some people believe that the kindness of the judges is the reason why the ratings for American Idol's first episode were down, in reality I believe many people are beginning to get bored with this show and all other reality programs, as well. There are only so many foolish things these reality shows can get people to do on camera and once the viewing public sees something once, there is not that same shock value the next time a show tries the same stupid stunt. American Idol has stood alone in ratings success year after year and while last nights ratings were off, this show still beat all of the other competition hands down.

As this season of American Idol progresses, I believe there will be a ratings rebound for the show. Over the next few weeks, more regular network programming will be going into reruns because of the ongoing writers strike and there may come a time when the only new show on television on a given night will be American Idol. While no show wants to succeed just because of a lack of competition, for Fox I doubt if they really care whether people are watching American Idol just because there was nothing else new on television to see. From my own personal perspective, I like American Idol much more when the bad contestants are removed later in the season. The terrible acts that make up the first few shows, each year, of American Idol are like a train wreak. Yes, we all like to stop and look. However, soon we are back on our way to some other location.

Read more about American Idol:

January Return Of American Idol To Fox Television
Paula Abdul Craziness, Must Be American Idol Time
Long Shot Taylor Hicks Wins American Idol
Paula Abdul Acting Strange In Media Interviews
People Are Falling For 'American Idol' Hype Again

Microsoft Wants To Read Your Mind At Work

Recent, Microsoft applied for a patent in the UK for experimental software that would allow management to scan for changes in an employees metabolism. This software would constantly scan an employees heart rate and respiration via wireless probes and alert managers of these changes. For a company that already has a huge image problem, this new patent application is certain to further degrade consumer trust in Microsoft. In recent years, some employers have moved from strict employee monitoring at work – to keeping tabs on their behavior at home. For example, some companies do not allow employees to smoke at work. However, the employee could be fired if he or she chooses to smoke during their off time.

Microsoft is taking employee surveillance to a fighting new level and bring back old thoughts of 'Big Brother' from that, George Orwell, book about 1984. The slow but steady intrusion into the private lives of people by companies and the government is something everyone should be concerned about. Americans have always valued our right of free choice and that right is worth fighting for. Everyone, at one time or another, does stupid things. However, for most people we do not learn anything without making mistakes first. I certainly don't want my employer or worse the federal government trying to get inside my head to read my thoughts.

I knew the day would come when this type of software would be developed. However, it does concern me when a company with the reputation of Microsoft applies for a patent for such software. Anyone that has used Microsoft software, which is almost everyone, understands that nothing is more important to Microsoft than protecting their own assets. Also, I have never thought that Microsoft had much of a soul when it comes to doing the right thing. This new software patent should concern everyone in the world because while the U.S. will most likely pass laws to protect the rights of the individual, most other nations around the world will not. There is so much of a chance of abuse from software of this type that hopefully a negative public reaction will delay it's development for at least a short period of time.

Read more about New Technology:

Steve Jobs Wows Again At Macworld Trade Show
Broadband Internet Service Coming To Airlines
Angry Apple iPhone Customers Demand Discount
Yahoo Email Adds Text Message Feature
TXU Goes Green