1. a) What is the CNN/Des Moines Register poll?
b) For how long has the Des Moines Register published this poll?

2. For what reason were the poll results scrapped just before they were supposed to be released? Be specific. (NOTE: CNN was going to run an hour-long show Saturday night to spend on the results.)

3. How was the glitch discovered?

4. Is the list of candidates’ names in the same order every time? Explain your answer.

5. Read the “Background” below the questions. Which candidate was expected to have won the poll?

6. From a Feb. 1 NY Post article “The ‘Never Bernie’ apocalypse is coming, Dem insiders warn”:

Democratic donors and party insiders are warning that large swaths of their voters could stay home — or even defect to Trump — if Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders snags the nomination. … Among insiders there is near-universal belief that Sanders’ card carrying socialist credentials could create enormous problems with suburban and older [Democratic] voters.

The Post also reported: News emerged Friday (Jan. 31) of DNC members privately discussing rules to prevent a Sanders nomination at the Democratic convention, according to Politico. From the Politico report: “A small group of Democratic National Committee members has privately begun gauging support for a plan to potentially weaken Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and head off a brokered convention.”

There is a possibility that Bernie Sanders won the scrapped CNN poll. Some supporters think an attempt will be made to bump their candidate out of winning the Democratic nomination. What do you think? Is this a possibility? Ask a parent the same question.