What does CNN do when it gets a poll result it doesn’t like? It buries the lead and spins the results. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found Barack Obama ready to lose to several 2012 presidential nominees. Rather than report the result straightforwardly, it emphasizes how positive the poll is for the president. CNN’s “news” piece on the poll begins:
His party got its clock cleaned in Tuesday’s midterm elections, but President Barack Obama still remains competitive in some hypothetical 2012 presidential election matchups, especially against Sarah Palin, a new poll shows.
The poll then inexplicably shifts to a discussion of which Republican candidates are in the lead for the 2012 presidential nomination, although the primaries are more than a year away, and there is not a single declared candidate yet. Then it ignores the poll altogether to report that former senator Rick Santorum is scheduled to give a speech in New Hampshire.
Hoping the reading has tuned out after its excursion into irrelevance, the poll gets to the point: most Republican candidates would clean Obama’s clock.
As though its “journalists” were holding their own hands and reassuring themsleves everything would be OK, they begin: “In a possible general election showdown, Obama leads Palin 52-44 percent among all registered voters.” True; then again “all registered voters” do not vote. Not even all “likely voters” vote.
To further help itself swallow the news, CNN quotes Polling Director Keating Holland for a full paragraph. “Looking ahead to 2012, it may be too early to count Barack Obama out, particularly if Sarah Palin is his opponent,” he comforted them.
Then, on to the hard numbers:
In a hypothetical 2012 matchup, [Mike] Huckabee leads Obama 52 – 44 percent, while [Mitt] Romney has a 50-45 point advantage, which is within the poll’s sampling error.
That contention seems odd, since the piece notes, “The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.” It continues:
Obama holds a 49-47 percent margin over [Newt] Gingrich.
Note the poll does not state Obama’s lead over Gingrich is “within the poll’s sampling error.”
Incidentally, the story begins by reporting that its poll claims the leading Republicans for the 2012 nomination are Huckabee (21 percent) and Romney (20 percent). A number of CNN election day polls show essentially a three-way tie between Palin, Romney, and Huckabee in the early primary states.
Will ObamAlbatross Last to 2012?
CNN then claims, “On the Democratic side, nearly three-quarters of Democrats say they want to see the party renominate Obama in 2012.” Again, this seems odd, since an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll released on Sunday found 47 percent of Democrats “said Obama should be challenged for the 2012 nomination.” One wonders how Obama made up 22 points in three days, particularly after a national repudiation on election day.
So, there’s nothing to fear; Obama is still “competitive,” and the Democrats still adore their Glorious Leader.
The network claimed it showed Lou Dobbs the door last year to focus on “hard news,” although it recently debuted…Parker/Spitzer.
But really, CNN calls this news? This is a therapy session for inconsolable liberals trying to whistle past the Tea Party.
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After noting that the poll states that "Romney has a 50-45 point advantage, which is within the poll’s sampling error." Ben writes, "That contention seems odd, since the piece notes, 'The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.'”
Maybe Ben should take another basic math class. Even knowledge of stats isn't necessary for most people to recognize that 50-3=47, while 45+3=48. Since 48 is larger than 47, that means the margin is indeed within the margin of error.
Other than that, the story raises some interesting points (including the idea that Sarah Palin might not fare well), but considering that another poll showed that two years before Obama was elected president, 37 percent of people had “never heard of him,” predictions for 2012 are meaningless.
Dream on James! Cut the BS!
Your beloved Messiah Obama is toast!
Lol! Your fuzzy math is to be expected in addition to your spin!
Fact is that Palin, Huckabee & Romney all according to the polls would beat Obama in a Election if held today. The Democrats as well as yourself are living in fear that Obama may have to face Sarah Palin in the 2012 Presidential election because you have already attacked her in every way possible. Truth is that The Democratic Party & Obama would much rather face Huckabee or Romney whom are vulnerable in more areas than Palin.
Wrong again, as usual, four times. Most notably, from the article that you should have actually read before making silly statements: "Obama leads Palin 52-44."
And it's not people on my side who are afraid Palin will win the GOP nomination, which would make the 2012 race the most entertaining ever: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/44449.h…
NO JAMES I AM CORRECT!
James i am not going to do your homework for you! You are referring to the CNN Poll which virtually has no merit to it at all ! When you have a better knowledge of the facts then come back to me & engage me in a debate then & only then !
Lol! I do not even need to read the Politico article you referred to! Is this the best you can do?A article by Liberal Politico with unamed sources! the article amounts to nothing more than unsubstantiated gossip!
James do not waste my time unless you have the facts correct!
Wrong again. But not worth pursuing further, since it's obvious to everyone else.
The video has been removed.
I watched that segment on Fox News, however I didn't see any candidate I will support. If we run these same batch of losers again, none of them fully supporting our Constitution, I will vote for a third party candidate. All of them are either "Liberal", or too close to Juan McCain. Come on Republicans, lets find a good candidate; perhaps Ron Paul, or Jim DeMint.
In a two party system a vote for a third party candidate is really a vote for Obama, unless that 3rd party candidate stands a good chance of winning.
CNN continues to discredit themselves by manipulating the actual News & Polls.
CNN a once proud & respectable Network has lost it's way & has become The Joke of almost all of The News Networks with only MSNBC being the exception.
He's already a BIG loser. Sara will throw him out. Democrats say "she don't have enough experience." Well what about the stuff that's in there now? What she has is better than the Mofia.
How about a Mike Pence/ Michelle Bachmann ticket?? Sounds like a winner to me. GIve Marco Rubio
a few more years and he will be the next Ronald Reagan..
obama is TOAST!!! good ridence to a treasonous anti-American.
Minnesota here…..Michele Bachmann is very popular here no matter what you hear. Yet I doubt
if she'll run that ticket. She is a threat though to the Dems. We love her for her straight forward
stand on the issues. We back her completely and she represents us thoroughly.
Obama is dumb founded and i bet Soros is spinning just like CNN.
I kinda like Palin/Bachmann ticket though. That would be history!! Give you men a run for your
money. Looks and brains, what else could you ask for?
I'd vote for Palin/Bachmann in a heartbeat; "if you want someone to talk, hire a man – -if you want a job done, hire a woman"!
Right-On And Let Her Drill Baby Drill, While The Good Old Boys Play Golf. Yippee, God Bless America And Sarah Palin.