Here’s a thought. November 6th is fast approaching. It could be argued that we have not seen a more important mid-term in decades. I can’t think of one, other than all those that people stayed home in droves from and allowed a minority to vote a broken congress into power. We have a chance this time to start fixing some of that.
My suggestion—stop paying attention to polls. They have nothing to say to you personally.
Seriously, polls are like click-bait on the internet. They track trends among certain demographics and are often so targeted that they leave most people out entirely. Even the good ones have in-built flaws. For the most part, they’re annoying and often harmless, but sometimes…sometimes…
Part of what went off the rails in 2016 is an artifact of polls. All but a couple told us there was no way the election would go the way it did.
And a lot of people took them at face value, said “I don’t have to worry about it” and did something else that day.
Before anyone jumps all over this and suggests I’m blaming this on one thing, I said “part of what went off the rails.” The polls added to a number of problems. But I believe that voting according to polls—or, worse, not
The only poll that matters is the election.
I would suggest everyone stop answering those irritating cold calls “We’re conducting a poll” robo-things that use what we say in who knows what manner to derive reports that may have no real utility in terms to making rational choices On The Day.
Everyone believed the polls that said this guy would lose by double-digits.
Stop it. Look at the candidates, look at their records, look at what they say, then look at your own situation and try to see how what they say, have done, or promise to do will impact your life. We’re hiring staff to run the country on our behalf. Does an employer check a poll on how popular a candidate for a job is or what people think of him or her as opposed to someone else? No. Resumes, past performance, conduct during the interview, can this person do the job.
A great number of incumbents have said and done things of late that are, in my opinion, simply unacceptable. The track record of this congress in terms of how I want my country run has been simply execrable. That’s the only poll that matters until November 6th, when the one that counts happens.
Polls, I suspect, make some people complacent. Don’t do that. Vote like you have no idea who will win. Vote for what matters, not what the spread suggests. Stop listening to the distractions.
And please—vote.