How could CNN get this story so badly wrong?

The lead: A new national poll suggests the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is a tie.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/01/dem.poll/

A TIE??? What the hell does a national poll have to do with who gets nominated? It's completely meaningless. Voters vote in primaries or caucuses, and most primary voters have already voted. The candidate with the most delegates is the one most likely to win. Last time I checked, Obama had more delegates than Clinton, plus former key Clinton supporters like Joe Andrew (former DNC head) and Robert Reich have recently endorsed Obama, while NM Governor Bill Richardson has also endorsed him. Meanwhile, no one seems to be switching from Obama to Clinton, and no one of great significance has endorsed her recently.

How is that a TIE? How could they be so dumb? Are they trying to outfox Fox "News?"

Andrew

You're confused Andrew. There is a nomination by delegates and there is a general election by the people of the US. At the present time, regardless of the delegate count from the primaries and the back room boys who know best (aka Super Delegates), Clinton and Obama are in a tie with the American people who support a Democrat candidate.

Regardless of what happens between now and the convention, Hillary will not get the nomination. Nancy Polisi will see to that. Nancy wants to remain the Queen Bee, the most powerful women in America. She can't do that if Hillary is President.

Deane writes:
You're confused Andrew. There is a nomination by delegates and there is a general election by the people of the US. At the present time, regardless of the delegate count from the primaries and the back room boys who know best (aka Super Delegates), Clinton and Obama are in a tie with the American people who support a Democrat candidate.

I'm not confused - sounds like you are. The story addressed the race for the Democratic nomination, not the general election. That race is not a TIE - Obama has more delegates and more recent endorsements.

But I wonder what uninformed voters in Indiana, North Carolina, and Oregon will think if they read this incorrect story about the race suddenly being a "tie?"

Andrew

So, you're saying that if more Democrats wanted Hillary (God forbid) than wanted Obama, the Super Delegates would still put Obama in? In other words the Democratic candidate could be possibly be the one the fewest Dems wanted. Interesting.

"How is that a TIE?"

It isn't known as the Clinton News Network for nothing.

Herb

It certainly appears that Operation Chaos is working.

But if you watch FOX News coverage of all things political, you’d think the economy is humming right along, the war is being waged with maximum efficiency, John McCain is a shoo-in for president, George W. Bush is the best president since Abraham Lincoln and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is campaign spokesman for the Obama for President Campaign.

Contrary to leftists, the sky isn't falling.

Look. This country went through TWO world wars.

Get a grip.

Herb

" Contrary to leftists, the sky isn't falling."

Which is why I like Obama so much. He gives me REAL hope. Not that fake shit that always comes back to bite you when it gets exposed as false and inflated.

With all your wanting to see, show and talk about the positive, I'm surprsed you don't vote for Obama. Who knows? Maybe you will.

"But if you watch FOX News coverage of all things political, you’d think..."

It's obvious many of you don't even watch Fox News and yet you're experts on the network and those who watch it.

I’m not sure what you’re implying, but I do watch FOX News from time to time and it’s clear to this viewer that FOX News is more interesting in spinning public perception of major policy issues in such a way that favors one side over the other. Even the most ardent FOX News viewer would probably agree with that assessment, or why would they choose FOX News? I don’t think it has anything to do with principled journalistic integrity but rather selling the conservative agenda. And given that FOX News is required viewing for Dick Cheney and the White House neo con set, it wouldn’t make any sense to be anything but hard wired to a right leaning audience.

Plus if you watch the FOX Business Channel, it’s like watching an Arthur Laffer seminar on economics. Let’s cut taxes and watch the “free market” fall in line. FOXcaster David Ashman should drop all pretention of being a journalist and instead serve as a White House Economics spokesman and McCain campaign cheerleader.

You see it your way, I'll see it my way.

Hey, did you catch the excellent two-part Hillary interview on O'Reilly? She never looked better!

I'll sign-off now and get back to Greta's show.

(By the bye, that's David Asman on FBN.)

Herb-

Yeah this country has been through two world wars, but there was also Korea and Vietnam. This current war is so completely different than those previous wars that comparing Iraq with any of them is foolish.

But if you still want to live in the past and hope it returns to some kind of glory days well that's just fine. I'm looking for a nice change at the top of the ladder so we can get this great county of ours headed in a better direction.

Just keep the spin job going Herb, it's really what you do best around here.

I stand corrected, but he's still a hack.

Just keep the spin job going Herb, it's really what you do best around here.

*PLONK*

Deane, I think the candidate with the most delegates after the last primary will and should win the nomination. At this point Obama also has more popular votes (not counting Michigan, in which Hillary broke the rules and left her name on the ballot while Obama took his off as he promised). And given that important Democrats are switching from Hillary to Obama and not the other way around, it doesn't appear she is gaining much ground. Even in Pennsylvania, her net gain in delegates was small.

Why even bother with delegates if you're simply going to tally up the popular vote after all the primaries and give the nomination to the one with the most votes?

Andrew

"Why even bother with delegates if you're simply going to tally up the popular vote after all the primaries and give the nomination to the one with the most votes? "

There are a bunch of these type questions with the Democrat process the way it is set up. Another is, why even have primaries if the Super Delegates can change the outcome?

Operation Chaos is working!

"I'm surpr[i]sed you don't vote for Obama."

Were he the pro-life candidate, I would, and with relish.

Herb

"This current war is so completely different than those previous wars that comparing Iraq with any of them is foolish."

No. My point is that WWI and WWII were far more serious and involved far more, both in lives and sacrifice on the home front.

Yet we got through both of them. And why did we bother?

Answer: To make the world safer for democracy. That's the only thing in common with Iraq.

Herb

Why did CNN choose to treat the results of a non-official poll as news, rather than produce a story analyzing the results of the real primary election? This is the real question.

Ratings drive television.

Single polls make for consumable headlines.

Only an average of polls has significant credibility, and even then marginally.

1-21-09

This is truly sad. As Mary Starett once said, "Politics is dirty business, but television is even dirtier business."

The thing is, people who will vote in the coming elections see stories like these and will be influenced, even if subtly. If they sense Obama is "slipping" and could lose the race for the nomination (even though this is now almost impossible), they might vote for Hillary. People hate to vote for a loser. While this ultimately won't sway enough delegates for Hillary, it will make things tighter. (Operation Chaos? Maybe - though not on account of Rush Limbaugh.)

Andrew

The lack of intellect in the main stream is overstated. The prejudice in the mainstream is understated. The right wing starves education and feeds the fires of prejudice. That's who they are and what they do and nothing is going to change that.

Were he the pro-life candidate, I would, and with relish.

McCain isn't so what's your problem????

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/NATION/755813 602/1001

Spin on, Trixter.

Herb

Spin on Herbocrite..

Herb, I have a simple question for you;

Do you think that McCain is against abortion?

McCain has said MANY times that it's the WOMAN RIGHT to choose.

Yeah, but he's gonna pick people that don't believe that and not worry too much about it.

That's the slippery bit here.

A whole lot of pro-lifers don't care how they get their law, as long as they get it.

McCain has been pro-life since at least the 2000 campaign. A difference now, however, is that back then, McCain was opposed to overturning Roe v. Wade. Now, he's for it. Just another thing he's changed positions on over the years for political expediency. Not that he's a flip-flopper or anything...

Andrew

Well, he is kind of old. Maybe just a flopper.

Look, I have asked a simple question without using bad words and in direct relation to the link that Herb posted. I'm not saying that Herb has even seen my question. But when he does, I would really appreciate a simple yes or no. I think it's a reasonable request.

"Do you think that McCain is against abortion?"

Based upon Mr. McCain's support from pro-life groups, I trust he is indeed pro-life, at least far more than either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama.

Herb

He's pro life until he deals with an unwanted pregnancy. Then he would flip flop and maintain that it's the woman's right to choose, just like all the other hypocrite conservatives who rush to the clinic every day in America.

Based on McCain's unrelenting support for war, I'd say he's the LEAST pro-life of any of the three candidates.

"Then he would flip flop and maintain that it's the woman's right to choose, just like all the other hypocrite conservatives who rush to the clinic every day in America."

Nice try, Mr. Spin.

Mr. McCain and his wife also adopted a child.

"OVERTURNING ROE v. WADE

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench...

PROMOTING ADOPTION

In 1993, John McCain and his wife, Cindy, adopted a little girl from Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh. She has been a blessing to the McCain family and helped make adoption advocacy a personal issue for the Senator.

The McCain family experience is not unique; millions of families have had their lives transformed by the adoption of a child. As president, motivated by his personal experience, John McCain will seek ways to promote adoption as a first option for women struggling with a crisis pregnancy. In the past, he cosponsored legislation to prohibit discrimination against families with adopted children, to provide adoption education, and to permit tax deductions for qualified adoption expenses, as well as to remove barriers to interracial and inter-ethnic adoptions."

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58. htm

It's just like leftists to mock someone who is a honourable POW, a war hero AND who adopted a child living in Mother Teresa's orphanage. Your liberal schadenfreud, self-loathing and hatred for others who do the right thing is simply pathetic.

And rather than push to abort children of colour like Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama, naral and scammed parenthood, Mr. McCain and his wife have given an orphan child a loving home. I hope she grows up to be president. If it isn't toast by then, she'll help overturn Roe v. Wade for certain.

Ham-fist on.

Herb

"It's just like leftists to mock someone who is a honourable POW, a war hero AND who adopted a child living in Mother Teresa's orphanage. Your liberal schadenfreud, self-loathing and hatred for others who do the right thing is simply pathetic."

Now that's a fine turd Herb!

It's the truth...and intellectually honest liberals who even believe in truth know it.

Mr. McCain has suffered for his country and has taken in an orphan.

Mr. Huckabee was going to be my first choice, but now I see how good of a guy Mr. McCain really is, too.

God Bless John McCain.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

Herb

No it isn't.

You've been debunked on those kinds of turds so many times I can't even count.

The archives are there.

Thank God I don't base my opinion on right and wrong according to those who defend a woman's so-called 'right to choose'...the very same people who attempt to diminish Mr. McCain doing the right thing by his giving such an innocent little one a loving home.

It's a badge of honour to be pilloried by those so eager to move the goalposts of truth.

Spin on. Here I stand, I can do no other.

Herbert Milhous Luther

You're a one note Johnny. And you're wrong.

And what part of defending the helpless don't you understand?

Oh, the left sure talks a good game.

'It's for the children.'

But they're the first ones to throw them under the bus.

Herb

.

Throwing children under the bus? What comes to mind is George W. Bush’s veto of the SCHIP program, a health insurance program for children in this country. George W. Bush, father of the billionaire tax cuts stimulus package and the $650 billion dollar deferred war payment plan called the program too expensive and a procurer to socialized medicine. George W. Bush is pathetic. He panders to the anti-abortion crowd, but when it comes to the post child out of the womb variety, he kicks them straight in the gut. But that’s pretty typical among many in the anti-abortion crowd. They scream about the rights of the unborn, but when it comes to the welfare of children living and breathing among us, their rhetoric is nothing short of hypocritical.

Blame Bush.
Blame Bush.
Blame Bush.

Who's the one-note Johnny?

Herb

Blame Bush.
Blame Bush.
Blame Bush.


Give credit where credit is due.

Absolutely the very worst.

There's an upside Herb!

It's VERY VERY difficult to go downhill from here.

Talpdx, for the so-called pro-lifers, it's not about the saving the unborn, it's more about control of your decisions with your body or within your household. The so-called pro-life crowd are simply a bunch of hypocrites to the core.

Blame Bush.
Blame Bush.
Blame Bush.

Who's the one-note Johnny?


YOU ARE Herbocrite

George W. Bush, our nation’s greatest one note Johnny.

Remember that movie "They Live"? It was just a movie....Right??

http://www.i-marco.nl/weblog/images/bush_they_live.jpg