And Now for Something Completely Different…

October 31, 2004October 1, 2019 Mark Blumenthal19 Comments

You may have wondered why I disappeared for the last 24 hours or so. Well, another bit of personal business intruded. So, without further ado…

The Mystery Pollster, his wife Helen and daughter Deena are pleased to announce the birth of their son Sam, born yesterday, October, 30, 2004 at 5:24 p.m., 8 pounds, 10 ounces, 22 inches.

Mother and baby are doing well and resting comfortably. His 22 month old sister is a little perplexed as to why we keep calling him Sam and not “Deena’s baby brother.”

As for Daddy, well….Let’s just say that when we learned the due date would be right around the elections, I was pleased. Since campaign pollsters like me are usually finished with our campaign work by now (public polls keep going, internal polls are mostly done), I thought, “great, perfect timing!”

Today…ah…not so much.

P.S. I do have an important yet still unfinished post on all the likely voter models other than Gallup & CBS in the works. Also, the conclusion of this presidential campaign is looking to be every bit as close and interesting as the last time around. There are a few topics I have been dying to get to. So I’ll be surfing and posting for the next 72 hours. Don’t worry. My son and family will be nearby and not ignored. After Tuesday they will get 100% of my attention for awhile.

P.P.S: You can do Sam’s father a big favor by taking a few minutes to complete this brief (3-5 minute) survey he created about Mystery Pollster. Respondent identities will not be tracked and answers are completely confidential. If you are a first time visitor to the site, please take a moment and look around first. If you have any problems with the survey please email me. Thank you!!

Mark Blumenthal

Mark Blumenthal is political pollster with deep and varied experience across survey research, campaigns, and media. The original "Mystery Pollster" and co-creator of Pollster.com, he explains complex concepts to a multitude of audiences and how data informs politics and decision-making. A researcher and consultant who crafts effective questions and identifies innovative solutions to deliver results. An award winning political journalist who brings insights and crafts compelling narratives from chaotic data.