Billmon: The Wave

The exit polling data has an interesting chart that may explain those last-minute pre-election polls that supposedly showed the Republicans closing the gap with the Democrats, at least on the generic ballot.

When did you decide your House vote?

For whatever reason (John Kerry's nightclub routine, the GOP robocalls from hell, something they ate for dinner) voters who made up their minds in the last week before the election were less likely to pick the donkey over the elephant than those who made up their minds before that time, and a lot less likely than those who made up their minds on the day of the election itself (which I'm guessing includes more than a few who literally made their choice when they stepped into the voting booth).