Election Prediction Thread

[Yoshi]

because if it's not on the ballot, there is absolutely no way of evaluating these factors, especially when we have literally dozens of polls conducted every day

Part of my job is to write survey questions. I can make the results turn out almost literally any way I want, but I choose to be impartial, because I would like to remain employed. I would not assume the same about all of the polls. The actual ballots are the only true representation in an area like this where it's nearly impossible to be impartial.

[burgundy]

Does it really come down to knowing where a politician went to school?

I don't know about you Americans - I wouldn't have a clue where our Prime Minister went to school. I don't think it's all that important really.

for those of us just joining us:

[Yoshi]

beats me. has your woman been telling you what to do lately?

Not any more so than usual. I just listen less.

[burgundy]

Does it really come down to knowing where a politician went to school?

I don't know about you Americans - I wouldn't have a clue where our Prime Minister went to school. I don't think it's all that important really.

for those of us just joining us:

Republicans like educated people.

[Cowutopia]

but I choose to be impartial, because I would like to remain employed.

It doesn't sound like you have much of a choice there.
If you had already decided to always act in a manner way that will keep you employed then technically you never had a choice. lol that doesn't have anything to do with anything, but the way you framed that phrase was funny, considering you're talking about not framing questions.

But you are right, it's pretty easy to generate numbers that prove whatever point you are trying to make.

[burgundy]

Part of my job is to write survey questions. I can make the results turn out almost literally any way I want, but I choose to be impartial, because I would like to remain employed. I would not assume the same about all of the polls. The actual ballots are the only true representation in an area like this where it's nearly impossible to be impartial.

sure, but it's not like we have just one or two polls. we have dozens. some from the left, some from the right, some from the middle. and just as you try to stay impartial so you continue to work, so do many of these polls. because even if one goes off the reservation to get some extra buzz now, they're going to be judged on their accuracy when the ballots are counted.

every demographic study i have seen shows that the democratic party skews more educated than the republican party, at least for the past 8 and probably 16 years. now of course there are nobel prize winners in the GOP and dems that are fucking morons. and you can argue about the value of education all you like and i can argue back because that's a value judgement. but really there has got to be a reason why you see rhodes scholar bill clinton stumping for obama and joe the plumber stumping for mccain.

[SpoDaddy]

Does it really come down to knowing where a politician went to school?

When a person has no meaningful real-life accomplishments they have to fall back on citing the place that they prepared for maybe someday accomplishing stuff.

[Yoshi]

There's no doubt there's a lot of overlap, but I don't believe level of education even has a strong correlation with intelligence. There are a lot of dumbasses with college degrees. I'd like to see something like distribution of people with engineering degrees between the two parties versus people with degrees in underwater basket weaving.

[burgundy]

i would argue that underwater basket weaving is inherently an engineering discipline

[Frogacuda]

Not every educated person decides that they should be making less educated people's decisions for them.

The ones running to represent them in elected office do. That's kind of the job description.