Every Day Is Judgment Day

Unless you’ve been stranded on a desert island somewhere, you’ve no doubt had your fill of political polls these past few months. Updated with a staggering frequency, today’s polls provide an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the political landscape — and perhaps more than a little insight into the current, American ethos. But it may surprise you to know that U.S. political polls date back almost two centuries.

In 1824, people were asked which Presidential candidate they preferred — Andrew Jackson or John Quincy Adams. Even though Adams won the election, the results showed Jackson as the people’s choice. In recent years, pre-election polls have emerged as highly important campaign strategy tools. The idea of testing the waters by means of polling is not new. What is new is their level of sophistication. The techniques for analyzing public opinion have become so highly complex it requires a mathematical wizard to organize a major poll.

Theoretically, at least, these added resources enable candidates for high public office…