Last week I discovered an interesting new blog devoted to political polling called Crosstabs.org. Actually, Crosstabs.org is something of a blog within a blog, a site nestled within the conservative site RedState.com. It combines frequent posts from blogger Gerry Daly -- who used to blog at his own site, Dalythoughts, and comment from time to time here on MP -- with an interesting twist. The new site will include occasional contributions from five Republican campaign pollsters: Robert Moran of Strategy One, Bob Ward of Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates, Brent McGoldrick of Grassroots Targeting, Bill Cullo of Qorvis Communications and Rob Autry of Public Opinion Strategies.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then MP certainly welcomes the presence of more professional pollsters into the blogosphere, regardless of their political perusasion. When it comes to methodology, we all do things a bit differently, and readers will benefit from having more perspectives online. Take the issue of the "incumbent rule," for example. In their first week, the pollsters at Crosstabs.org have posted some thoughts worth reviewing here, here and here.
Now, obviously, Crosstabs.org will handicap polls from a conservative perspective (just as Dalythoughts did during the 2004 cycle). Chris Bowers and his colleagues at MyDD and Ruy Teixeira at Donkey Rising have long done the same from the liberal side of the blogosphere. And while I try to keep the handicapping and commentary as neutral here as I can, there is no doubt that I am a Democratic campaign pollster. So a little balance is not a bad thing.
Welcome to the neighborhood Crosstabs.org!