Monmouth University Repudiates Its Own Polling Data After It Shows Joe Biden Plunging
In what’s being called a rare move, the polling unit for Monmouth University on Wednesday renounced their own recent poll after it showed 2020 presidential frontrunner and former vice president Joe Biden taking a 13-point nosedive.
When it was released earlier this week, the poll made political waves, as it showed Biden in a deep dive and gave the lead to Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both of whom were tied at 20 percent. The poll indicated Biden was now in second place at 19 percent, according to Fox News.
Patrick Murray, the director of the poll, issued a statement in the wake of the surprising results, labeling Monmouth’s poll as an “outlier,” echoing statements from Biden’s campaign after the original release of the poll.
“As other national polls of 2020 Democratic presidential race have been released this week, it is clear that the Monmouth University Poll published Monday is an outlier,” Murray said.
“This is a product of the uncertainty that is inherent in the polling process.”
Murray explained that those who’ve been in the polling business for any length of time occasionally see what he labeled as an “outlier,” suggesting that it’s bound to happen from time to time.
“It occurs very infrequently, but every pollster who has been in this business a while recognizes that outliers happen,” Murray said. “This appears to be one of those instances.”
Monmouth’s polling results generated unfavorable coverage for the former vice president and the timing coincided with Biden’s seemingly weekly gaffes. The data suggested that his supporters were potentially losing faith in his ability to run a presidential campaign.
New Hampshire based progressive radio host, Arnie Arnesen, said the Monmouth poll was a “wakeup call” and highlighted Biden’s consistent leaning on the fact that he was former president Barack Obama’s vice president.
JUST IN: Monmouth admits poll showing Biden support dramatically falling was “outlier” https://t.co/6W58Zd8DeJ pic.twitter.com/LwRtZfyKyP
— The Hill (@thehill) August 28, 2019
The Hill ran a headline after the poll’s released titled, “Biden electability argument takes hit,” along with a long list of additional news outlets who ran similar stories.
According to Politico, on Wednesday, two new polls gave Biden and his campaign the news they probably expected — that the 76-year-old candidate is still in first place with a commanding lead.
The two polls, released by USA TODAY/Suffolk University and Quinnipiac University, each show Biden with 32 percent support. Interestingly, Warren has a slightly more solidified second place position over progressive rival Sanders in both polls.
Biden’s national polling average, as recorded by Real Clear Politics, still gives the former vice president a double-digit lead over his closest competition with 28.4 percent.
