WUI (Writing under the influence)

For almost 2 years now, I've been thinking that the exit polls of 2004 were skewed on purpose to give the deranged left a reason to complain for the next 4 years. Unlike the deranged left, however, I don't believe in conspiracy theories. But the news from Italy (one half of my new family lives in Italy so I vaguely follow the news) points to botched exit polls yet again. And yet again the exit polls were skewed to favor the left.

The spectre of Florida hung over Italy late last night after a general election that all commentators and opinion polls as well as the official exit poll had given to the centre-left seemed to be heading for a dead heat. According to projections by pollsters, the centre-left and centre-right coalitions appeared close to taking 50 per cent each of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in the general election.

[...]

Things began to go horribly wrong for the centre-left around 6pm yesterday, as the true results and projections based on them began to flow in. Exit polls published immediately after the close of polls at 3pm indicated that Romano Prodi and his coalition would beat Silvio Berlusconi's House of Liberties coalition by four to five percentage points. Italy appeared headed for a peaceful revolution, and an end to the tumultous Berlusconi era.

Coincidence? Could be. I remember many people explaining the 2004 exit polls by blaming lefties who just couldn't stop babbling to anybody who would care to listen how they were throwing out that bum Bush while conservatives were in rush to get back to doing their jobs and paying taxes.