Misreporting Polls: Republican’s “Historic” Lead Over Democrats

[Zadoc]

Misreporting Polls: Republican’s “Historic” Lead Over Democrats


Excerpt:

A Gallup poll released on August 30th showed that the Republican Party had a lead over Democrats in the Generic Congressional Ballot poll by tem points. A percentage so wide hasn’t occurred since 1942… At least not in Gallup’s tracking.

Observers from both the blogosphere and respected media outlets immediately lauded the results as “historic” and made speculations about the Democrats impending electoral doom in the upcoming November midterms.

Was the poll really historic? Was the news handled appropriately by the national media? The short answer to both questions is a resounding no.

[PSPS]

1. The media must make their horserace so they can sell advertising.

[Beartracks]

3. Your are correct. They've set the narrative.

It's amazing how every election comes down to this neck-and-neck stuff -- or at least it appears to when you watch the MSM.

And now it's all about how the Dems blew their promising lead from 2 years ago; the MSM "story arc" will describe the uphill battle they face to retain their seats. I wouldn't be surprised if "post-election" analyses have already been drafted.

By the way, to point out the obvious: "story arcs" and "narratives" are for ENTERTAINMENT, not NEWS. Like Jon Stewart noted this week: When an actual news story doesn't fit your anticipated narrative, you're SUPPOSED to report the real story, NOT change the friggin news to match your fiction

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[Joe Chi Minh]

6. Not according to the Republican playbook. Without their mendacious-propaganda "noise machine", the

Republicans would be little more than a small splinter party.

No praise can be too high for the man or woman who identified and named the "noise-machine" concept, because its role in the survival of the Republican party has been as crucial as the voting machines, and the menace of deadly violence by Big Business against individuals perceived by them as a danger to the fulfilment of their aims.

[napi21]

2. A FEW Dems handled it OK by saying it's a snapshot in time

and is not a reliable predictor of much of anything this far away from election day. The media as whole jumped on what they thought was a big storyjust like they always do. What gripes me is that a few days later when GALLUP's NEW POLL said the two parties were TIED I didn't hear ANYONE recind their gloom & doom crap.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Most of the MSM are virtually wholely owned subsidiaries of the repukes...

Accuracy and truth are never part of their agenda.

[bemildred]

5. Dang, you mean the state propaganda organs lie to us?

Even the Teabaggers know that.