The futility of pre-election polls
Months before elections for a new government, the pollsters get busy making their predictions. This is particularly noticeable when looking at the minefield of American politics. That’s more a game than information on which the party’s campaign managers can base their strategy.
I strongly believe that in the United States, with its diverse cultures and ethnic origins, a so-called “representative sample” of 1,000 people cannot be reflective of the whole nation. Furthermore, unlike with face-to-face questioning, by choosing various socioeconomic areas, today’s hitand-miss phone polls do not guarantee a fair cross-section. That’s why the 2016 presidential election produced a result that was different from the expectation.
Not only does the interviewer not know if he really speaks with a voter, but unlike in a face-to-face encounter, he also has no way to judge the honesty of the reply. So I set no store by any polls, except the one on Election Day. It is known that when standing in the booth, many people revert to their traditional view, which is different from their more recent intention.
The voting is also influenced by the weather and drastic political developments. Lastly, it is a means by politically motivated pollsters to raise your concern that your chosen candidate might lose, and therefore encourage you to vote. But it is the floating voter who decides the election. All the pundits and political commentators, yours truly included, make cut-anddried hit-and-miss predictions. The moral of this story is: Don’t raise your blood pressure, because you can only do your duty and “que sera sera.”
Now a brief word about today’s America.
For Americans, however, it is worth getting excited about the left-wing extremists who infiltrate and then take over every legitimate protest movement. The outrage over the killing of George Floyd was the trigger to adopt the slogan “Black Lives Matter” for their unconstitutional activities.
Of course black lives matter, just differently expressed, it is nothing new. Generations have fought for it. How else was slavery abolished and segregation made illegal? Its protagonists were peaceful people.
The extremist elements of the new Left in America are searching in ever wider circles to change the fabric of society. Now they found that the name Redskins of the Washington NFL team no longer fits their perception of political correctness and racial justice.
So, as a result of protests and mounting pressure from its main sponsor, FedEx, which holds the naming rights of their stadium. And despite the team owners’ statements some years ago that they would never change the name, they have now decided to drop the Redskins name and logo. It is all part of the far-reaching tentacles of the George Floyd revolution.
A statement issued by The National Congress of American Indians read: “We commend the Washington NFL team for eliminating a brand that disrespected, demeaned, and stereotyped all native people.” There are however many native-American voices who are not offended by the name.
Now that statues of Christopher Columbus and George Washington have been toppled, will the capital city of the United States also be renamed so that soon the history of the United States will be unrecognizable? And is the Empire State Building next?
Does that name not conjure up memories of the colonies? The elections in November will decide the future of that great country. Will it remain the leader of the free world or become a slave to a new radical socialism, a society where the mob rules and where there is no protection for the law-abiding citizen.
The writer is the host of Walter’s World on Israel National Radio Arutz 7, and The Walter Bingham File on Israel Newstalk Radio, both of which are broadcast in English.