Why do people care so much about polling and forecasts? Why not spend that effort on looking at issues, voting for the right people and after the election see who won? This seems a total waste of time.
However aren't most things in life a total waste of time, like posting on HN complaining about total waste of time?
according to the forecasters the election is already over, who's model is best is the only interesting undecided component left.
right now we have an election between a Blowhard Reality Star and a Crony Crook, where most of the population would prefer neither.
so combining the realities of the choice already made (barring an insane scandal) with an election between a douche and turd sandwich, statistical models are about the only semi-honest thing we can turn to.
do you really think this election is about "the issues" and not who is better at pandering? both of their campaigns are designed to tell people what they want to hear, and figure out the rest later.
democracy in general is a feedback loop between the press and politicians with the voting population as pawns/fodder. journalists and politicians have one shared concern: staying relevant and needed.