Bradley effect

Joe the Plumber meets up with John McCain after the election.

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John McCain: Thanks for the help, Joe. Appreciated it.

Joe the Plumber: Obama won by a big majority. You said the polls were wrong. That people would tell pollsters they were going to vote black but on the day they’d vote white.

John McCain: The Bradley effect. Tom Bradley was a black candidate in the 1982 California governor’s elections, he was ahead in the poll predictions, but on the day, he lost. George Deukmejian, white candidate, just pipped Bradley. Some people worry about being politically correct and say one thing publicly, but think the opposite.

Joe the Plumber: So what happened to this Bradley effect?

John McCain: It didn’t happen. Happened to Tom Bradley in 1982. Colin Powell was still worried about the effect so he didn’t run in 1996. Maybe it has diminished.

Joe the Plumber: Maybe it never existed. Maybe it was just an excuse put up by the pollsters because they got their figures wrong.

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