Why Were the Presidential Election Polls All Wrong?

One of the questions being asked about the outcome of the presidential election is why the pre-election polls were all wrong

And even the pollsters are asking the questions about the polls.

Respected pollster J. Ann Selzer says she is going to be reviewing her data to determine why a Des Moines Register Iowa Poll released just days before the election produced results so far out of line with Donald Trump's big margin of victory.

Another well-known pollster who you have seen on TV frequently over the last several months is Frank Luntz. He told Bloomberg News after the election, that there needs to be a change in how the news media and the voting public look at polling.

Luntz says all the polling before big elections like this one have turned them into horse races instead of election. The polls are reported as the horses, i.e. the candidates come out of the gate, go into the first turn, the second turn and the final stretch run.

Language like that is even used by reporters, anchors and pundits as each month or even each week goes by during a presidential election campaign.

And Frank Luntz is suggesting that there should be more time and effort by the news media and the pollsters on examining the issues each candidate is espousing instead of so much on who is leading in what state and at what time and by how much…turning it into the horse races elections have become.

Not a bad idea.

(Photo Getty Images)