Polling is “90% bullshit.” In fact, all political data is “garbage.” The Democratic consultants who traffic in such numbers are perpetrating a “scam” against their own party and are largely responsible for President Donald Trump’s victories. Instead of trying to gauge public opinion through pseudo-scientific surveys, Democrats should mostly just read history and the classics.

This is the gist of John Ganz’s recent column, “Against Polling” — a widely-shared polemic that actually earned plaudits from some Democratic pollsters.

Both this piece and its reception are puzzling. Ganz is a brilliant writer with many insightful things to say about history and political philosophy. (I recommend subscribing to his newsletter and buying his book.) Yet his diatribe against “data” is unfair and unper

See Full Page