Did Russert mislead audience about Clinton-Giuliani match-up?

[Karmadillo]

Liberal media at work again.

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh073007.shtml

RUSSERT PICKS CHERRIES AGAIN! Clinton leads Rudy in ten of twelve polls. Guess which two Russert presented?

<edit>

Uh-oh! After three weeks of self-denial, Russert returned to some deeply troubling polls—polls which were troubling for Clinton, that is. Here’s what Russert told his viewers on yesterday’s program:

RUSSERT (7/29/07): And we're back. Let's look at some interesting polls. The generic question: “Are you going to vote for a Democrat or a Republican for president of the United States?” And look at these margins in their question: 51 to 27 in the Hotline poll. Battleground poll, 49-38.

And then, when you match up specific front-runners, Giuliani, in both polls, beats Hillary Clinton! You match Giuliani against Obama, Giuliani wins in one poll, 49-45; Obama wins in another poll. Then take Fred Thompson. Thompson loses to Clinton in one, ties in another. But Obama does much better against Thompson than Hillary Clinton does, winning handily in both those races. What does that mean to you, Chuck Todd?

TODD: Well, I think that she's having a problem of electability.
There on the screen, the data were clear. Giuliani was beating Clinton in two different polls—the most recent Gallup and the Battleground. (Not the Hotline, which didn’t do head-to-head match-ups.) Conclusion? “I think that she's having a problem of electability,” our old friend Chuck Todd said.

What was surprising about that presentation? According to PollingReport.com, those are the only two polls in the past seven weeks where Giuliani has beaten Clinton. (For polling results, click here.) But uh-oh! In ten other polls (including the most recent), Clinton has beaten Giuliani! That’s right: In head-to-head match-ups, Clinton has beaten Giuliani in ten of the last twelve polls, including the most recent (basic data below). But so what? Russert cherry-picked the two polls Clinton lost—and Todd chimed in with the pleasing claim that she’s having electability problems.

The most recent poll (Clinton up 5) disappeared. So did all the others.

more...

[The Magistrate]

1. This Is A Trick Question, Sir: His Lips Were Moving, Right?

Pleasure to see you about the place again, my friend!

[Karmadillo]

11. Good point. Expecting the truth from Russert is

like expecting competence from the Bush administration. Glad to find you still posting here, my friend.

[LBJDemocrat]

2. Giuliani would defeat Clinton, and here's why:

1. Bloomberg wouldn't run. Bloomberg hurts Democrats more than Republicans.
2. Giuliani's weakness is that the South and other conservative areas view him as a socially liberal northerner. He would have difficulty mobilizing his base... unless Clinton runs.
3. Giuliani will likely move to the left on the war issue after he wins his nomination if Bush continues his failed policies. Giuliani, by virtue of his 9/11 savior image, will beat Clinton on the issue of national security if he does this.
4. Given that Giuliani is liberal on many social issues and that he may sell himself as an outsider vis-a-vis Bush and Washington on foreign policy, Clinton's best hope to differentiate herself is on economic issues; but she's proven time and time again to lack guts in this area.

We'd be better off with Edwards, Obama, Clark, Gore, or even Richardson or Biden.

[OHdem10]

3. great Analysis

[wyldwolf]

7. there's nothing even remotely factual in that analysis

[rinsd]

8. Huh?

"1. Bloomberg wouldn't run. Bloomberg hurts Democrats more than Republicans."

Not sure yet if he will run though I think he won't. Polling shows him having a neutral effect on the race, hurting the GOP if anyone.

"2. Giuliani's weakness is that the South and other conservative areas view him as a socially liberal northerner. He would have difficulty mobilizing his base... unless Clinton runs."

So Giuliani who is not well like will sweep the South? Because he is getting killed in the NE by not just Clinton but Obama and I think Edwards does well against him in the NE. How do you mobilize social conservatives when Rudy's record on those issues in the same as Clinton's? Those people will likely stay home.

"3. Giuliani will likely move to the left on the war issue after he wins his nomination if Bush continues his failed policies. Giuliani, by virtue of his 9/11 savior image, will beat Clinton on the issue of national security if he does this."

So Rudy will move left on the war after being its biggest cheerleader leading to up and right thru the primaries? And anti-war people who are giving Hillary shit about her vote suddenly will swoon over Rudy?

And his image as 9/11 savior, read up on the toxic air at ground zero, how many rescue workers have become very ill from it and how Rudy did shit for those guys. And read who their biggest advocate has been in the Senate(hint: first name starts with H)

"4. Given that Giuliani is liberal on many social issues and that he may sell himself as an outsider vis-a-vis Bush and Washington on foreign policy, Clinton's best hope to differentiate herself is on economic issues; but she's proven time and time again to lack guts in this area. "

How is Rudy going to sell himself as any kind of outsider on foreign policy when he has chained himself so doggedly to the Bush administration's policies?

[Dawgs]

9. I'm not a Hillary fan, but you're right -- Giuliani doesn't scare me at all.

[AnotherGreenWorld]

4. How did Russert even get that job...

God he's such an idiot. I remember him asking Kerry how the hell his views could have changed in the course of a couple decades.

At least with people like Anderson Cooper, a graduate of Yale with a degree in Poli Sci, you know why they have their jobs. Russert graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, not even a tier 1 law school--pathetic for someone from a privileged background.

[depakid]

5. Russert's just another far right enabler

A man without integrity who thinks that he's "important."

I'm sure his father's very proud.

[wyldwolf]

6. Here is the only thing Russert likes to report on the Clintons

[stuckinlodi]

10. Thank You for This

After watching MTP yesterday, I was quite upset. We cannot have another Republican President, no matter what!

[Supersedeas]

12. And it has been going on for years