Politico fails to fact-check Rasmussen’s claim...

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/04/politico-rasmussen/

Politico fails to fact-check Rasmussen’s claim that he ‘has never been a campaign pollster or consultant.’


Reporting on criticisms of right-leaning pollster Scott Rasmussen, Politico presented as fact his official bio as “an independent pollster” who “has never been a campaign pollster or consultant.” The article quotes Rasmussen’s critics, but fails to question his supposed independence:

While Scott Rasmussen, the firm’s president, contends that he has no ax to grind — his bio notes that he has been “an independent pollster for more than a decade” and “has never been a campaign pollster or consultant for candidates seeking office” — his opponents on the left insist he is the hand that feeds conservative talkers a daily trove of negative numbers that provides grist for attacks on Obama and the Democratic Party.

According to the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity, Rasmussen has been a paid consultant for the RNC and President Bush’s 2004 campaign. The RNC paid Rasmussen $95,500 between 2003 and 2004 for items listed as “survey,” “survey cost” and “voter data.” Bush’s campaign paid Rasmussen $45,500 for “survey research.”

[Parker CA]

1. Politico once again demonstrates its journalistic integrity. HAHAHAHA. Nice find, Babylon!!

[JuniperLea]

2. Both seal their fate as non-credible sources...

Birds of a feather and all that.

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Politico & Rasmussen... this is a 2fer.

[LostInAnomie]

4. I've been saying it for awhile now.

Politico is nothing more than a mechanism for releasing Republican talking points into the mainstream.

[Luminous Animal]

5. During the primary wars I was begging DUers to reject Politico as a source.

Their anonymous and unsourced gossip about both Hillary & Obama damaged both their campaigns.

[Jazzgirl]

12. Me too Luminous.

Every time I clicked on a thread where they used Politico as a source I would slap my head and wonder why they were even slightly recognized as anything credible.

[goclark]

6. K and K again

[FBaggins]

7. Likely just word games

Crafting an internal survey isn't the same thing as polling voter candidate preferences so you could say the statement was technically "truthful"...

...but it's also ridiculous to leave people with the impression that he has no political views of his own that might impact his impartiality... regardless of whether he had or had not worked for the RNC.

I prefer the Battleground group. There at least you know you have a biased republican and a biased democrat working together to make sure their results aren't influenced.

[malaise]

8. Why would Politico fact check itself

They're all ReTHUGS...inbreeding gone mad.

[Tippy]

9. Couldn't have said that better myself ....malaise

:applause:

[malaise]

11. Happy New Year Tippy

:hi:

[Tippy]

13. And a Happy New Year to you malaise

:beer:

[Stinky The Clown]

10. "Tom Hagen fails to fact check Vito Corleone"

[NNN0LHI]

14. About the same time Talon News went defunct Politico was started

Whats that tell you?

Don

[chimpymustgo]

15. LOL. K&R. I think it's very important to read Politico. Just don't believe it.