Politics Blog

Finally, an independent poll on the Landrieu-Terrell matchup in Louisiana. It shows Landrieu leading 50-34. Before you give up on this race, it’s worth noting that this poll’s accuracy is very suspect because:

1. It estimates that 28% of voters will be black. Black turnout has usually been 23-24%, reaching 26% when David Duke was in a runoff for governor on a general election day. Now that runoffs are held a month after the general election and David Duke is a distant memory, it’s hard to see black turnout even reaching 23%.

2. This same pollster had the numbers all wrong for the general election. On 10/23, they released a poll showing Landrieu 45%, Terrell 16%, Cooksey 9% and Perkins 4%, with 27% (!) undecided. The actual election results were Landrieu 46%, Terrell 27%, cooksey 14% and Perkins 10%

So it’s still a close race and these numbers mean nothing. Sigh. I get my first independent poll and it’s worthless. I always thought New Hampshire had the worst polls in the country; but Louisiana seems to be giving it a run for its money.

The numbers show that the economy is doing better than expected. Call me nuts; but I think that the clear GOP victory on election night will do a lot to propel the confidence of American enterpreneurs and send growth soaring in the next couple of quarters. Witness how the success in Afghanistan did the same early this year, when growth hit a breakneck 5%.

Al Gore is the latest to take on conservative media outlets:

“Fox News Network, The Washington Times, Rush Limbaugh

Looks like the pollster who did that Louisiana Senate poll showing Landrieu with a 16 point lead over Terrell is uncomfortable with his numbers.

You can see my post on the accuracy of the poll here.

I pointed out before the elections that the Wellstone memorial rally would hurt Democrats everywhere:

It’s hard to overstate the impact of the Wellstone rally. Conservativetalk radio hosts have been playing it up all day and the Republican base is thoroughly energized. As usual, the pundits, with their liberal D.C-area dinner party friends, have been unable to catch the strong undercurrent of anger that runs among Republicans today.

Now that the elections are over and it’s safe to indulge in 20/20 hindsight, liberal media “experts” agree. But, like Democratic spokesmen before the elections, they try very hard to whitewash the rally:

“To expect that 15- or 20,000 Wellstone supporters would be quiet as pictures of Trent Lott and others flashed on the screen was too much to expect,” said Steve Smith, director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Too much to expect?” Why? Are they martians? Just what did their grandmothers teach these freaks?

Finally, an independent poll on the Landrieu-Terrell matchup in Louisiana. It shows Landrieu leading 50-34. Before you give up on this race, it’s worth noting that this poll’s accuracy is very suspect because:

1. It estimates that 28% of voters will be black. Black turnout has usually been 23-24%, reaching 26% when David Duke was in a runoff for governor on a general election day. Now that runoffs are held a month after the general election and David Duke is a distant memory, it’s hard to see black turnout even reaching 23%.

2. This same pollster had the numbers all wrong for the general election. On 10/23, they released a poll showing Landrieu 45%, Terrell 16%, Cooksey 9% and Perkins 4%, with 27% (!) undecided. The actual election results were Landrieu 46%, Terrell 27%, cooksey 14% and Perkins 10%

So it’s still a close race and these numbers mean nothing. Sigh. I get my first independent poll and it’s worthless. I always thought New Hampshire had the worst polls in the country; but Louisiana seems to be giving it a run for its money.

The numbers show that the economy is doing better than expected. Call me nuts; but I think that the clear GOP victory on election night will do a lot to propel the confidence of American enterpreneurs and send growth soaring in the next couple of quarters. Witness how the success in Afghanistan did the same early this year, when growth hit a breakneck 5%.

Al Gore is the latest to take on conservative media outlets:

“Fox News Network, The Washington Times, Rush Limbaugh

Wonderful article in FrontPage Mag on Democrats’ willingness to say anything to win:

“After 1964 and before 1992, the Democrats lost five of six presidential elections, including three landslides. Their positions had become so unpopular that the term

The Political Wire has links to Gore’s slow book sales, his dropping popularity among the general electorate and his continuing popularity among Democrats.