Smart Talk Wednesday: Are the polls accurate?; Industry ups and downs during pandemic

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Joe Buglewicz / AP Photo

In this Nov. 6, 2018, photo, voters head to the polls at the Enterprise Library in Las Vegas. Nevada's Democratic Party announced new paper-based balloting for its early vote as it scrambles to reconfigure plans and avoid tech problems and reporting delays that mired Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.

The presidential election is four months away, and it seems there is a new poll every day with a snapshot of how much support President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden have.

Most polls across the country from the last two weeks show Biden leading Trump, especially in what are considered key states to winning the election like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida.

However, many polls didn’t show Trump defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016 either which may make some question today’s poll results.

On Wednesday’s Smart Talk, we discuss the accuracy of polls and what’s different in 2020 with Berwood Yost, Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College.

The Coronavirus pandemic has been called an accelerator by different industries. Some industries like business technology, policy and practices have grown but the pandemic has resulted a steep financial decline of other industries.

Before the pandemic, the travel industry was one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy. No longer, as COVID-19 applied the emergency brakes to any near-term tourism growth.

There have been some surprises along with way, too. Alcohol and cigarette sales in the U.S. are on the rise, as are outdoor recreation products like RV’s and bicycles.

Joining us on Smart Talk Wednesday to look at how different industries have fared during the pandemic is Ben Levisohn, managing editor for markets at Barron’s, an investing publication of the Dow Jones & Company.