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Second Guessing
The Secret Art of Election-Calling Very few Americans actually believe in psychic powers, but in the days preceding November 2, it sure seemed like many people were playing Ms. Cleo. Formulas, matrices, and spiritual revelations – some championed by serious academics, others offered as the revealed wisdom of Nigerian mystics – became the fodder of newspapers and cable television. But, what happened to the predictions offered by these methods once the official election results were tallied? They were largely forgotten about, with very little post-election analysis of their accuracy. Here is a run-down of the methods, histories, and accuracy of