Personalities in the Gaming Industry and Politics

[Wulf Ratbane]

No it's not. Using early exit polling to predict the results of a close race is a joke. But that's hardly the only use for exit polling.

True; it's most often used to affect the results of a close race.

My suspicion is that a large enough sampling of folks are so generally disgusted with exit polls that they'll deliberately skew the results until they are so obviously, ridiculously useless that they are simply no longer tolerated as "news."

My suspicion; my expectation; my sincere hope.

 

[Jonny Nexus]

The major political parties in the US are far broader coallitions than are typically seen elsewhere (because the political system strongly encourages two major parties). To UK-ize things ... suppose the LibDems and Labour were both in the same party, and so were the Greens. Then figure any even remotely respectable party of the Right as part of the Tories. And then given them about equal membership nationally, with solid regional strongholds.

Does that help?

Yeah, right, I can see what you're saying, and that's a good explanation.

But I do think that people in general, but particularly in the US, draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable views too tightly, to the extent that they regard it as unacceptable to simply express political views. Someone earlier in this thread said something about how people shouldn't discuss politics on their blogs because it's a touchy subject that's liable to cause offence. That just seemed a bit strong to me.

Anyhow, this is such a fuzzy subject that there's no line that can be drawn.

 

[Mokona]

Gaming figures should feel free to express themselves in their private space (such as Erik's blog). Since as a whole most gaming professionals who've spoken up have elitist and crazy political opinions they should expect that some fans will react negatively. If it gets annoying enough I just laugh and stop reading that person's blog.

What bothers me the most is when fringe political notions like Erik's get into printed games because then I have to weigh if that product is a good use of my money. I don't expect everyone to write the politics in games to my tastes and they shouldn't expect me to buy games containing politically offensive junk.

 

[Vocenoctum]

True; it's most often used to affect the results of a close race.

My suspicion is that a large enough sampling of folks are so generally disgusted with exit polls that they'll deliberately skew the results until they are so obviously, ridiculously useless that they are simply no longer tolerated as "news."

My suspicion; my expectation; my sincere hope.

Living in South Florida, the last election in my county, the pollsters didn't seem interested in talking to anyone of my age. They basically restricted their polls to older voters.

There's also the element that some of us just don't take polls!

That's besides the obvious problem of announcing the outcome of statewide elections, before the elections were actually over. (the panhandle is in a different time zone)

Nearly ever election, you can watch the news and see them telling you "candidate A is winning!" while the percentage of votes underneath the talking head, reads the exact opposite.

 

[drothgery]

True; it's most often used to affect the results of a close race.

My suspicion is that a large enough sampling of folks are so generally disgusted with exit polls that they'll deliberately skew the results until they are so obviously, ridiculously useless that they are simply no longer tolerated as "news."

My suspicion; my expectation; my sincere hope.

Err... no. The real use of exit polling data is for post-election analysis (by news organizations, political scientists, and political parties) of who voted which way why.

(BTW, once the 2004 exit polls were finalized and correctly weighted, the strange results from the early exit polls which led to the incorrect early "Kerry won" buzz disappeared, or shrunk to within the margin of error. Don't dismiss exit polls based on some bad sampling and premature analysis.)

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

(BTW, once the 2004 exit polls were finalized and correctly weighted, the strange results from the early exit polls which led to the incorrect early "Kerry won" buzz disappeared, or shrunk to within the margin of error. Don't dismiss exit polls based on some bad sampling and premature analysis.)

I'm dismissing them precisely because the media performs bad sampling and premature analysis and attempts to use them to affect voter turnout.

That exit polls are incorrectly and unethically applied doesn't warrant their dismissal? Err... ok.

 

[Elf Witch]

But what is a "rabid extremist member" of a (presumably) non-extremist party?

I can see how someone can be a member of an extremist party (such as the Nazis). But I'm not sure how you can be extreme in your membership of a non-extremist party. I can see how you can be an enthusiastic member of a party, or a committed member, but not extemist.

The danger would seem to me to be that you might have a situation where it's okay for someone to say that they vote Democrat or Republican, and perhaps even admit to being a non-active member of one of those two parties - but where it's not okay for them to admit to being an active or enthusiastic member.

I'm not saying that's what you think, just that some people in the US appear to be drawing a pretty tight line as to how actively people can support non-extremist politics before those people become regarded as extremists.

And personally, I think enthusiasm in politics is good and to be applauded.

You are right and it is sad that this is happening in the United States. I read a lot of poltical sites and it makes me sick the amount of name calling, labeling and just over all nastiness that has invaded poltical discussions. You got one side calling all liberals traitors snd the other calling all conservatives nazis. And then there are the morons who if you disagree with them tell you that you do not love your country so get out.

It is not helped by the media or the pundits on both sides who spew there hate while complaining that it is the other side doing it. Ann Coulter gets hit in the face with a pie and is surprised that she has stirred people up. Look at the title of her books and how insutling they are if you consider yourself a liberal. And liberals are not above doing the same.

We should be working together not pulling apart. Neither side is 100% right nor does it have all the answers. Only with open and free communication can we hope to solve some of the crisis facing us right now.

I fear we won't be able to do it. Not with everyone so certain they are right and everyone else is wrong. And the I refuse to listen much less consider your point of view. Your views offend me so I will do everything I can do to make you shut up.

 

[nothing to see here]

You mean trends like, "Kerry won!"

Exit polling is a freakin' joke. A complete and utter failure.

Exit polling is, indeed, a 'freakin joke'...the political equivalent of chicken bones and tea leaves.

Actual polling, with large sample sizes, random sampling, non-loaded questions, universal answers, and accureately coded by staffs is freakishly accureate at reading the exact mood of any population...that's why politicos spend so much money on it.

 

[drothgery]

I'm dismissing them precisely because the media performs bad sampling and premature analysis and attempts to use them to affect voter turnout.

That exit polls are incorrectly and unethically applied doesn't warrant their dismissal? Err... ok.

Never ascribe to maliciousness what should better be ascribed to ignorance. Most reporters don't really understand how exit polls work, and so tend to take early exit poll results as fact (especially when it seems to conform with their political leanings). What this should argue for is exit polling services holding off on releasing results until after the polls have closed, and better education of those reporting exit poll results to the general public. But the data collected in exit polls is useful, and I don't see a reasonable case against collecting it.

 

[nothing to see here]

Living in South Florida, the last election in my county, the pollsters didn't seem interested in talking to anyone of my age. They basically restricted their polls to older voters. .

I wouldn't trust any pollster who actually showed an 'interest' in talking to one group over another. It cannot be overstated that the ONLY accurate polls are those where people are sampled completely randomly. So unless the poll was specifically designed to measure older voters, it's more likely that you and your peers simply missed the lottery (consider yourself lucky!)

There's also the element that some of us just don't take polls!

Any poll that requires you to actively seek it out and 'take it' won't be worth the paper it's printed on. To ensure random sampling, the pollsters have to pre-select and seek out you.

That's besides the obvious problem of announcing the outcome of statewide elections, before the elections were actually over. (the panhandle is in a different time zone)

On that you are one hundred percent accurate. It's a big problem in the continental democracies like Canada, the US or Austrailia.

Nearly ever election, you can watch the news and see them telling you "candidate A is winning!" while the percentage of votes underneath the talking head, reads the exact opposite.

I don't know if it happens THAT often. When it does, it's often because the aggregate numbers don't break down where the votes are coming from. Some areas mean more than others.