McCain Campaign Lying Again About the Size of Their Crowds - Media Helping

[bigtree]

In recent days, journalists attending McCain rallies have been raising questions about the crowd estimates with the campaign . . . http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080913/pl_bloomberg/a1j0tfv3xjys

McCain campaign officials are at it again, attempting to feed their made-up crowd numbers for Palin's rally in Florida this weekend to the gullible and compliant media (and succeeding).


here's an account from the Miami Herald: (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/696050.html)

"A fire rescue official estimated the crowd at 25000 to 30000, while the Republican Party of Florida pegged the audience at twice that size."

here's AP's account in the Tampa tribune:

" . . . her speech to a crowd security officials at the scene estimated at 25,000 or more.

McCain campaign officials claimed an even larger crowd than security officials - about 60,000 based on what they said was an estimate from The Villages Fire Chief Mike Tucker. He could not be reached for confirmation of that

here's the FOX News account: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/21/palin-fl-crowd/

headline: Palin Draws Crowd of 60,000 in Florida

Sarah Palin played it safe Sunday on her first trip as John McCain’s running mate to the battleground state of Florida, drawing a massive crowd of 60,000 people.

The largest was the crowd — an estimated 60,000 according to the fire chief. Some people had to wait in line about 90 minutes just to park their cars. Biden’s largest crowd during a visit earlier this month was about 2,000.

here's the best photo I could find of the event: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/21/palins-florida-debut-draws-thousands/

[magellan]

1. Halve the 60,000, and that's being generous

I saw pictures on the local news. 60,000? In their dreams!

[bigtree]

4. for real

I saw the FOX headline and went looking. These accounts are what I found. Clearly there was manipulation by republican party officials which was exploited by Fox and others favorable to the McCain camp. This is a pattern.

[tuvor]

2. And no one remembered to take a photo of the crowd.

What a shame.

[bigtree]

8. here's one

I'd have to say that doesn't look like more than the 20,000 or so that event officials estimated. It doesn't look like but maybe 10,000 in this photo

[Contrary1]

9. Given the wide open gaps in the crowd, I think it looks more like 3-4,000. n/t

[bigtree]

11. I was really being generous

you're absolutely right

[Contrary1]

3. It's a miracle!!!

About 20,000 tickets were passed out, and yet 60,000 showed up? I bet by noon tomorrow it will be 80,000+.

[bigtree]

5. I found one article with the exact same dialog as the other article

. . . but the crowd count had been raised to 70,000:


"Sa-Rah! Sa-Rah!" they chanted at every mention of her name, applauding loudly and waiving tiny American flags that were distributed — along with free water bottles — by local volunteers. The fire chief estimated the crowd at 70,000.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080922/CAPITOLNEWS/809220310

[Contrary1]

7. And, here is an idea as to the intelligence/gullibility of the average attendee:

"She has really pumped some life into the ticket. She just breeds honesty and integrity."

Here's a blow by blow at kos that shows what they were all cheering about.

http://openthread.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/21/192253/259/268/605882

[dkf]

12. That's a great first person account.

What an inane speaker Palin is. I don't need to be there...all I have to do is read that diary and I know exactly how she sounded.

[otohara]

6. When All Else Fails

lie, lie, and lie some more.

Media so easily manipulated by GOP - maybe we should do the same.

[beac]

10. How pathetic. n/t

[Richard Steele]

13. What BS! If that "crowd" is 60 thousand people, then Obama is regularly pulling in a million. nm

[Contrary1]

14. I just figured out why such a large number is being used:

70,000 seniors live at The Villages!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[bigtree]

15. maybe

or, they just lied (again)

[palincomparison]

16. Leave it to a man to lie about the size of his

er...crowd.

Yeah, that's the ticket.