Editorial: Confusion reigns over polling results

Friday, Oct. 13, 2000 | 9:48 a.m.

After Harry Truman won the presidency in 1948 -- and stunned pollsters who had predicted he would lose -- pollsters vowed they wouldn't be so far off the mark again. Not only have they improved their sampling techniques considerably over the years, but now they also take surveys practically until Election Day in an attempt to accurately gauge the electorate's mood.

But this year's polling has shown contradictions. It's not uncommon on the same day to read that one national poll has Al Gore ahead in the race for the White House, but a different media poll has George W. Bush in front. Not only is this confusing, but it also seems that there are more polls this year than ever before. It would be nice, then, if these same news organizations would rethink spending a fortune on polling -- and getting dubious results in the process. They might even try what would be a novel approach by today's standards: actually devoting more attention to the issues instead of the horse-race aspect of campaign coverage.

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