.... Concerted Effort to Undermine Arnebeck....

[EMunster]

we need to write and complain about this anaylist, as well as A.P. or the local paper for looking up this guy:




This first article just butchers the already bias AP story (you'll find it at the Akron Beacon link below; the canton paper is better). But this WCPO story is just infuriating.



Uphill Battle Predicted For Voters Filing Complaint With Ohio Supreme Court

RELATED WCPO STORY
Federal Judge Upholds Ohio's Punch-card Voting (12/14/04)

Reported by: A.P.
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Photographed by: 9News
12/14/2004 10:25:43 PM

Political analysts say a complaint filed by some disgruntled voters faces an uphill battle in the Ohio Supreme Court.

The group of 40 voters wants the court to set aside the results of the November election and declare John Kerry the winner, even though the certified vote count shows President Bush winning the state by about 119,000 votes.

Analysts say the complaint is weakened by its reliance of exit-poll data, which wrongly predicted a win by Kerry in Ohio and other states.

(snip)

Basing the claim before the Ohio Supreme Court on what exit polls indicated is tenuous because the exit-polling predictions turned out to be wrong, political analysts said.

"The exit polls were wrong. They were terribly wrong," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist. "These were the same exit polls which had Bush losing Virginia -- which he won by a large margin."

Herb Asher, an Ohio State University political scientist, said election results don't necessarily reflect exit polls.

"We all know that exit polls can be wrong. Exit polls are basically a sample," he said.



http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/12/14/oh_scot_votes.html


Akron Beacon version:
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/10416340.htm

Cantonrep.com -- which seems like the pure a.p. story
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=13&ID=197846&r=0&external=&newCookie=yes&userID=124067


Analyst? they cite?
http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=LJS2004113001

[ClintCooper2003]

1. Larry Sabato is simply wrong. The same exit polls on cnn.com that

showed Kerry winning Ohio showed Kerry losing Virginia by three or four points. Virginia has a lot of electronic voting. See verifiedvoting.org.

[jamboi]

2. Boo hiss! The melodrama begins. n/t

[mulethree]

3. hmmm nice to get Mitofsky and his data subpoenaed n/t

[ClintCooper2003]

4. Here's my response to Sabato (who is a Fox News contributor)

I just thought you'd like to know that your recent comments regarding exit polls in Virginia are factually incorrect.

The original exit polls that were posted on CNN.com (that were conducted by the NEP) showed Bush taking Virginia by about 3 or 4 points (51% to 47%). Perhaps you are refering to some of those crazy numbers that were swirling around the internet very early in the day.

In any case, the CNN.com exit polls I'm referring to were not released on their website until after the polls had already closed in each state. Additionally, I received an email from Warren Mitofsky himself stating that the numbers showing Kerry winning in Ohio and Bush winning in Virginia were the ones the NEP released to CNN.com.

Thanks for your time.

-Clint

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

6. EXCELLENT RESPONSE!! ... reversing the framing brilliant

"Perhaps you are refering to some of those crazy numbers that were swirling around the internet very early in the day."

By finding their error (usually easy) and by inferring "craziness" on the validity of that error, you very effectively break down the premise of the "craziness" of the recount efforts (or any subject under propaganda attack).

The * administration is so skilled at this kind of framing, it really is necessary to proactively work "fire with fire", using the techniques to counter the propagation of distorting information.

Kudos and please encourage others to use your technique in all their communications.

[ClintCooper2003]

7. Thanks. :)

[skids]

5. Hit the opponent, not the sword.

They are proferring the exit poll argument as a way to trash a complaint that only mentions exit polling here and there.

Attack them on the fact that the report has so much more in it. "Obviously, you didn't actually read the complaint or you would know..."

...followed by a laundry list (that's a "litany of complaints" for all you lurking freepers.)

Then finally, give lip service to the exit poll argument in a couple sentences that just say "you're wrong on that, too."

(Edit: just typos)