Exit polls: An interpretation and a caveat

A "big Democratic night," or just more skewed polls?

Published November 7, 2006 11:59PM (EST)

For What It's Worth No. 1: On Fox News, Fred Barnes says that exit polls suggest that it's going to be a "big Democratic night." What's a "big Democratic night"? Democrats "probably win the House and do pretty well in the Senate."

For What It's Worth No. 2: On CNN, RNC chairman Ken Mehlman says exit polls always skew too hard toward the Democrats. "Republicans, as you've recently noted, typically, and conservatives, have historically done better in the out part of the state, in the more rural parts of the state," Mehlman says. "And often the exit pollsters whose job it is to produce, to get lots of people who are willing to do interviews, will concentrate on the more metropolitan parts of the state."


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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2006 Elections War Room