As you can probably tell from glancing at this page, I’m more political junkie than your average Joe. But even I’m not sure how well my interest will hold up during this eight more month long presidential campaign. You watch a show like “Hardball” and they’ve got on political analysts going at it as if the election is next week.
The favorite prop for these gurus is the latest polls. I suppose it’s interesting to see a poll every week or two to gauge the mood of the nation. But by and large these surveys will be meaningless until the fall. The election isn’t held today; there’s a host of unforeseeable things that can happen between now and November.
My favorite has been the primary exit polls I’ve seen on MSNBC. Look! Sixty percent of New York Democrats are “angry” at President Bush, and fifty-five percent of Louisiana Democrats are “angry” at Bush. Duh. Maybe that’s why they are voting in the Democratic primary–they don’t like Bush.
That being said, the latest Tennessee poll has Bush leading Kerry 48% to 44%. I think this shows that Bush’s new commercial with the waving flag has been particularly effective in convincing senior Hispanic women that his educational program has improved the safety of American dairy products.
Okay, okay–you’re right; it doesn’t mean anything.