The Kiplinger Letter weighs in on the pending election, posted Friday Nov 2 2012:
Politics and the Press (How Kiplinger views their role as a subscription service): As the campaign season draws to a close and voters head to the polls. A reminder about how we at Kiplinger see our role in covering elections, which is sometimes unclear to our readers during a bitter campaign like this: We forecast the outcomes of national elections, without endorsements, exploring what those outcomes will likely mean to you and your business. We aim for clear-eyed, objective judgments, free of bias and partisanship, which typify the journalism of some columnists, talk shows and cable news outlets. It's easy to get information that supports your personal preferences. But it may not be useful information on which to base your plans. Our readers are mostly in business, and we're aware of your concerns. Heck, we're in business, too, and we have many of the same worries you do about the sluggish economy, higher taxes, more regulation and so on. But... Sound decisions aren't based on what you.or we.want to happen. They're based on good intelligence about what is most likely to happen. Our presidential forecasting record has been very good...a correct call of every race since Eisenhower won his first term in 1952, including the elections of Kennedy, Nixon, Carter and Reagan plus George W. Bush's squeaker in 2000. (Our only blunder in 89 years...a doozy: Forecasting Dewey over Truman in 1948.) If we get the call wrong, it won't be due to bias but rather to faulty analysis and projections. And we'll apologize for the bad call...a disservice to our readers. And here is what Kiplinger predicts are the likely odds for November 6: Can Obama win the electoral vote while Romney wins the popular vote? Yes, especially in the wake of the hurricane that tore through the Northeast. Flooding and damage will dampen turnout in N.Y., N.J., Conn., Pa., Md. and Del., reducing the usual cushion for Democratic candidates, but Obama will still win them. The odds continue to favor another term for Obama, but not by a blowout. Romney seems on course for as many as 267 electoral votes.three short of victory. and he's not likely to rack up fewer than 235 unless he loses to Obama in Fla. Obama may take as few as 271 (one more than needed) and likely not more than 303. Polls in a few key states are close enough that Romney could buck the odds. But at a time when Romney's momentum was slowing, it was halted altogether, through no fault of his own, because Hurricane Sandy grounded both candidates for several days at a critical juncture. Mother Nature was this year's Oct. surprise. In no case, though, could either candidate legitimately claim a mandate They have a lot more to say on the matter, but these are the highlights. Subscribe to the service if you want more details. I have been a subscriber since the 1980s. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
