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

  • Scott LaMar/WITF
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.

 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.

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