Via buzzflash.com:
After early exit polls in Tuesday's election inaccurately suggested that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry would trounce President Bush, Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie is recommending that major news organizations pull the plug on the prognostications.
In remarks Thursday at the National Press Club, Mr. Gillespie said he is among those who were stunned by exit poll reports, which leaked widely on the Internet. "I would encourage the media to abandon exit surveys on Election Day and do what we do in the political profession -- look at the precincts and the turnout, see who's turning out to vote," Mr. Gillespie said. "Don't build a model that you try to, you know, build your own thoughts into of what you expect it to be."
Why is this about the worst idea anyone has ever uttered? Because without exit polls and with a voting system that doesn't allow proper recounting where would we be? We are almost there already, but note that exit polls are regarded as very important in developing countries as a way to measure the likelihood of election fraud. Also see the next post below.