OK. We'll see how this goes. I spend some time each day commenting on various 'political' sites, but this is my first effort at a continuing blog.
First, a bit about me. Aging (61), former political science professor with an ongoing obsession about public opinion. My professional life consists mainly of consulting with local governments and designing software to calculate property taxes in various states. Male, married, no kids.
Politically, I consider myself a left-wing liberal, though many on that end of the spectrum would probably consider me to be hopelessly moderate. Like most KOS readers, I'm thoroughly disappointed with Democrats' performance in the 110th Congress, though I suspect I'm considerably more tolerant of the challenges Pelosi/Reid face than many. At this point, I'm an Obama supporter who sends a contribution every month to Joe Biden, mainly in recognition of the guy's long and mainly admirable public service.
If I'm able to contribute anything remotely unique here, it's probably a better than average understanding of methodology and results of the avalanche of election year polls.
I'm repeatedly distressed to see how easily some people (many of whom should know better) dismiss well-designed public opinion research and just as distressed by those who latch onto particular poll results to support their hopes and dreams.
The latest examples include the Paulistas' widespread belief that there is a vast underrepresented resevoir of support for Ron Paul based on their experience with his "meetups" and internet fundraising efforts. More on that issue tomorrow...