Computer Predicts Election

Power of UNIVAC.

The 1952 presidential election between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai E. Stevenson demonstrated the power of the computer in the living rooms of millions of Americans. Even the programmers did not believe in the ability of their computers to make predictions.

UNIVAC vs. Cronkite.

Before 1952 the networks had to broadcast election results as they were returned, precinct by precinct, all over the United States. This was a long and tedious process for the networks and the viewers alike that sometimes took days. Election predictions were unsystematic and untrustworthy. In April 1952 CBS representatives approached Remington-Rand about using their adding machines and typewriters in the election coverage in exchange for free television advertising. One of the Remington-Rand employees suggested a new twist: use their UNIVAC computer to predict the election results, and viewers would be "glued to the tube"...

[The entire page is 1114 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass