The Bradley Effect

I have heard several recent references to the "Bradley Effect" and whether it will be in play in the presidential election this year. For those that may not know this refers to the California gubernatorial election years ago when Tom Bradley, then the may of LA, was the democrat candidate and was leading handily in the polls. It is believed that people lied to the pollsters about who they were going to vote for, fearing they would be considered racists if they said they were not voting for Bradley, a black man.

So with Obama being black the media naturally assumes that white people are lying to the pollsters because we are, of course, all racists. I actually believe it is a form of intimidation, just like the insinuation that there will be riots in the street if Obama loses. So when a pollster calls some old white man what is he going to say. This old white guy tells them to leave me the hell alone. My vote will be cast at the ballot box not through some stupid poll. And, hopefully, most Americans will have the sense to not be influenced by these polls. The least of my concerns with Obama is his race. I think he is a puppet for the Move On.org types and doesn't have the judgment to be president.

So whether there will be a Bradley Effect or not really shouldn't matter.