Quote:
Rick Sanchez Calls Out Media That Fell For "Mutilation" Hoax
The big political story of the day revolves around what turned out to be a non-story. Several media outlets (the vast majority conservative) were left with egg on their faces after they trumpeted up the tale of a McCain volunteer who claimed to have been assaulted by a large black man because of a McCain bumper sticker on her car. On her face was carved a backwards 'B' (meant to represent Obama's name). The Drudge Report called it "mutilation."
It was a hoax. And now, some in the fourth estate are left to explain why they pushed this apparent political ploy. Those in the business who showed some prudence are calling out their competitors for taking the bait.
On CNN today, anchor Rick Sanchez did just that, naming the outlets that not only reported but actively pushed the story of Ashley Todd. In addition to explaining why his station didn't report the story, Sanchez dug the knife in a bit deeper when it came to Hugh Hewitt, the conservative radio talk show host who appeared on CNN Thursday and blamed "that side" (i.e. the Democrats) for engaging in "extraordinarily" disturbing acts.
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"Part of the story is the fact that it was reported by the media," said Sanchez. "We would not be telling the story now had it not been carried by so many outlets. As I mentioned before, it was mentioned on, as a matter of fact I have a list and not to mention names, but the initials of the news organizations are Fox News, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Newsday. And also radio talk show hosts went on their radio stations and talked ad infinitum about the story yesterday, one of them even seemingly being a braggadocio about it when he was on the air with our own Wolf Blitzer yesterday."
Separately, the College Republicans -- a group of which Todd is a member -- sought to distance themselves from the whole affair, telling the Huffington Post: "When Ms. Todd initially contacted us claiming to have been attacked, our first reaction was obviously to be concerned for her safety ... We are as upset as anyone to learn of her deceit. Ashley must take full responsibility for her actions."
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Classic. And I really mean it; it's been happening for as many years as there has been history written: while girl attacked by black man later found falsely accused by psycho white chick with no life. Pathetic.
Hey honey, next time choose the 'O', maybe you can pull it off.
The campaign season has taken on a very bad air. Obama has now been called, directly by the McCain campaign and it's representatives, a Muslim pedophile terrorist with a communist agenda. It's not working, at all, in fact it is hurting McCain in ways and ways, but they're keeping at it none the less: they have nothing else. But the campaign knows. The volunteers know. It's all but over and failing a massive happening as yet unforeseen, Obama should take not only the White House, but the country. If predictions are correct, and they seem to be holding, a 'blue wave' will 'surge' the Republicans.
The Democrats are looking at a full majority in the House of Representatives and a filibuster- and veto-proof majority in the Senate, giving Obama unprecedented tools to fundamentally change the course of the United States' domestic and foreign policy.
This act was one of desperation on the part of a volunteer who, talking to voters door-to-door, on the phone, at events and on the street, is no doubt finding McCain's message of devision and hate being rejected more and more frequently.
But more than that, this was an act of race-baiting. 'Black Man Attacks White Woman' is the simple message and it dovetails with the message of the campaign: 'this is a man who doesn't see America like we see America', 'who is Barack Obama', 'he's not who you think he is', 'Obama palls around with terrorists', 'Obama wants to teach sex to 5 year olds', 'Barack Hussein Obama wants to kill newborns', 'the decision this year is black and white', 'Obama and the Democrats are not real Americans', 'Obama and the Democrats are anti-American', 'Obama and the Democrats are dangerous', 'Obama is a traitor'. Obama as 'other than us', an outsider and worse.
What takes this into the books isn't the desperate act so much as the McCain campaign's speed and the ease with which they embraced and encouraged the report, adding to it elements not in evidence in order to push the effect, and likely repercussions, for all they were worth. That is inexcusable even when you're not talking directly to those who, due to the McCain campaign's rhetoric, are already calling Obama a traitor, a terrorist, a Muslim, and/or an Arab, at rallies, as well as shouting out 'kill him'.
Quote:
"The McCain spokesperson's claims -- which came in the midst of extraordinary and heated conversations late yesterday between the McCain campaign, local TV stations, and the Obama camp, as the early version of the story rocketed around the political world -- is significant because it reveals a McCain official pushing a version of the story that was far more explosive than the available or confirmed facts permitted at the time.
"The claims to KDKA from the McCain campaign were included in an early story that ran late yesterday on KDKA's Web site. The paragraphs containing these assertions were quickly removed from the story after the Obama campaign privately complained that KDKA was letting the McCain campaign spin a racially-charged version of the story before the facts had been established, according to two sources familiar with the discussions."
![](http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/images/KDKA-450w.jpg)
A source familiar with what happened yesterday confirmed that the unnamed spokesperson was communications director Peter Feldman. Feldman was also quoted yesterday making virtually identical assertions on the Web site of another local TV station, WPXI. But those quotes, which we also preserved here, are also no longer available on WPXI's site, for reasons that are unclear.
This is problematic because the McCain campaign doesn't want to have been perceived as pushing an incendiary story that not only turned out to be a hoax but which police officials said today risked blowing up into a "national incident" and has local police preparing to file charges against the hoaxster.
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All this, and more, has been said. The McCain campaign has dropped to the level of it's true base, those who empowered Bush and kept him there: racist theocratic bigots and ideologues.
The term 'Conservative' used to mean fiscally conservative, now it means socially conservative and tends toward a theocracy the likes of which they themselves find unacceptable in Eastern countries . And it is despicable.
This woman needs to be charged for a hate crime and the McCain campaign taken to task for the desperation and hate they engender in their supporters.
[quote]
Tracking Poll Update
Today's Daily Kos Research 2000 tracking poll has Obama leading McCain 52-40. All trackers are data from three days prior to posting, with the R2K numbers from today (yesterday's numbers in parentheses) and the other trackers from yesterday (previous day's data). LV=likely voter, RV=registered voter.
Nate Silver (fivethirtyeight.com) wrote up a
tracking poll primer covering the eight available trackers. It includes sample size, time of publication and quirks, as well as Nate's opinion of the trackers. Recommended.
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Obama
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McCain
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MoE +/-
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RV/LV
Research 2000:
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52 (51)
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40 (41)
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3
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LV
Reuters/Zogby:
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51 (52)
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41 (40)
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2.9
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LV
Rasmussen:
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52 (52)
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45 (45)
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2
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LV
Diageo/Hotline:
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50 (48)
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43 (43)
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3.4
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LV
Battleground:
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49 (49)
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46 (45)
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3.1
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LV
Gallup:
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50 (50)
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42 (43)
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2
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RV See also the LV I and LV II numbers
IBD/TIPP:
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46 (45)
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42 (44)
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3.3
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LV alternate link
ABC/WaPo:
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53 (54)
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44 (43)
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3
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LV
D-corps:
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52 (49)
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43 (44)
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3
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LV
Big 10:
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52 (46)
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43 (45)
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3.1
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LV
CBS/NY Times:
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52 (53)
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39 (39)
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3
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LV
On successive individual days in the R2K poll (different than the top-line, which is a combined three day sample), Obama was up +12 Tues, +10 Wed and +14 Thurs.
Yesterday's pollster.com 'tracker-only' chart:
The R2K numbers on independents:
The increase is in the men (women are steady at +21 Obama):
We've noted the steady race several times. But now Dan Balz has spoken:
Quote:
Immediately after the debates, some national polls hinted that the race might be tightening, but this week, the weight of evidence is that Obama continues to hold a solid lead nationally and in the states where it counts most.
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ABC/WaPo tracker:
Quote:
In those crucial states decided by five or fewer points in 2004, Obama is up 21 points.
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Also from ABC/WaPo:
- 49% say they are at least somewhat uncomfortable about McCain's age, vs 8% uncomfortable about Obama's race
- 52% say McCain would mainly continue in George W. Bush's direction
- 56% think Obama has the kind of experience it takes to serve effectively as president
- Likely voters prefer Obama 56% vs 38% on the economy
Some important questions from the CBS/NY Times poll. About the vice-president (now at a record -25 fav/unfav in the R2K poll):
Ouch. Is McCain's tax rant working?
Ouch, ouch. Make it stop. How did Obama do in the debates? How are McCain's attacks working?
[b]
McCain's campaign can be summed up with a twist of a common idiom: Divide and Flail
All in all, it's looking very good, just not for McCain and the House and Senate Republicans.
On a lighter note, n'joy this :¬)
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