The “Bradley Effect” refers to a voter telling a pollster that they are going to vote for a black candidate, but not carrying through. This effect has even been found in exit polls in the past.
I discount the Bradley Effect in regards to Barack Obama because it did not appear in Obama primary election polling.
But how about a Bradley Effect working in the other direction. There are many Republicans who are appalled by Sarah Palin, but could they admit to their drinking buddies, spouses (or even to a pollster) that they would vote for the caricatured “most liberal Senator”?
The question of Palin votes vs Palin polls has never been tested nationally. I personally think that once in the voting booth, many Republicans will shudder, hold their noses, and vote Democrat. If there’s a landslide Democratic victory, I’ll take that as evidence for my thesis.