UK Post-Election Analysis

[Torie]

i am surprised that the parties don't have competent internal polling, which is typically better than the published stuff we see, as in the US.

[Torie]

Yet another ruinous consequence of Nate Silver's rise to fame. The sooner that man is thrown into the dustbin of history, the better.

As Silver himself would say, his work is only as good as the poll numbers upon which it depends. He's a number cruncher, not a savant.

[Torie]

Sure, but I think it's undeniable that he's had a negative influence on the polling industry (mostly in the US yes, but we are living in a globalized and inter-connected world, and, like Big Brother or Masterchef, Nate Silver imitators have popped up in droves from country to country). "Herding" was much less of a problem before he poked his nose into things.

The pollsters are fixing their numbers because they are afraid of Nate Silver?   Really?  Man, the guy is powerful.

[Torie]

Sure, but I think it's undeniable that he's had a negative influence on the polling industry (mostly in the US yes, but we are living in a globalized and inter-connected world, and, like Big Brother or Masterchef, Nate Silver imitators have popped up in droves from country to country). "Herding" was much less of a problem before he poked his nose into things.

The pollsters are fixing their numbers because they are afraid of Nate Silver?   Really?  Man, the guy is powerful.

I'm sure the polling firms that Nate Silver has criticized have lost a considerable amount of business as a result. Like it or not, he's by far the most respected and well-known name when it comes to this sort of thing. Why risk that when it's so much easier to nudge your numbers towards realclearpolitics.com's numbers?

That supposition makes about as much sense to me, as your suppositions as to what goes on in The Cave.