Analysis
This is more poll based reporting. The reporter presents three different poll results, all of which show different results. Considering that these polls show different results for the same period of time, why focus on them so much? Would not the public be better served with this two and half minutes on explaining the platforms of Granholm and DeVos?
Transcript
WOOD 8 Newsreader – Now when it comes to this years governor race there is certainly no shortage of polls gauging just how the race is shaping up. In fact today alone three separate surveys released. 24 Hour News 8 Political reporter Rick Albin now has a look at all three of them, Rick.
Reporter Larry, first well look at the poll that we most often use to track the race for governor. The EPIC MRA survey says that the Granholm DeVos match up has closed since its last sampling earlier this month. When six hundred people were asked June 13th through June 20th, 46 percent said that they would support Dick DeVos, 44 percent said that they would vote for Jennifer Granholm. This showed a considerable change from the same companys poll form June 6th through 9th. Those numbers showed DeVos leading 48 to 40 over Granholm, and for the first time he was breaking out of the margin of error which is plus or minus 4%. The race now would once again appear to be a statistical dead heat. The pollsters tell me that they believe the major reason for the shift is this commercial, paid for by the state Democratic committee. It is Granholms first television commercial presence in this race, compared to an estimated six million dollars of commercials purchased b y the DeVos campaign. Both campaigns say numbers this early on are likely to be skewed and both camps claim not to pay much attention to the polls. So, here are two other polls they can consider, or not. Strategic vision, an Atlanta Georgia based polling company thats been compiling numbers in Michigan for several years, released their sampling of twelve hundred likely voters in the state. They asked them about their preference for governor and came up with this. In a general election match up, they showed DeVos leading 48 to 41 % over Granholm. Now this poll comes closer to mirroring the earlier epic poll but this poll was taken later during that period of time when the ad touting Granholm was already on the air. And if that isnt enough, yet a third poll came out today from Lansing based market research group. It showed the race all but tied with DeVos at 42% and Granholm with 41%. So what does all of this mean, well first, the Granholm commercial put up by the state Democrats almost certainly helped bring home some of the Democratic base. At the same time it took away the advantage that DeVos had enjoyed as the only message on the air. A high profile event on Mackinaw Island by the Detroit area chamber of commerce brought generally favorable reviews for Granholm, that too may have helped. And more people too may be focused on the race. These could all be likely reasons why the race is getting closer, but none of that would account for the variables between the polls. 139 days before the election its still very early and polls are only a snapshot of a moment in time. Im Rick Albin, 24 hour news 8.
Total Time: 2 minutes 38 seconds
