Why you can't trust the mainstream media on politics

Let me emphasize again, in case any of my readers haven't read my earlier posts on politics, that I'm neither Democrat nor Republican.  I distrust both major political parties equally, and regard them as suppurating pustules disfiguring the American body politic.  I won't vote for a party, but for an individual who's proven him- or herself to be trustworthy and honorable.  It doesn't matter whether or not I agree with their positions:  if they're people of integrity, they'll have my support.

That said, we're stuck (at present) with a political system dominated by the two big political parties.  The mainstream news media is usually 'in the tank' for one side or the other, overwhelmingly supporting the Democratic Party, but occasionally (*cough*FoxNews*cough*) the other side.  You couldn't possibly wish for clearer evidence of this than in the way they're 'spinning' election news, and deliberately slanting their opinion polls (and their reporting of those polls) to favor the side they support.

Today brought the latest example of this dishonesty.  CNN announced brazenly:

CNN Poll: Obama up six points over Romney

Not so fast, CNN.  The Examiner points out:

It's no surprise that some networks are doing all they can to ensure an Obama victory in November, but a skewed poll released by CNN on Monday showing Obama up 6 points over Romney has raised serious questions among many.

According to CNN, Obama surged to a 6-point lead over Romney, 52-46, among likely voters. But is that poll accurate?

. . .

Examiner's Dean Chambers says the poll "clearly under-sampled independent and Republican voters."

"Unskewing this data to make up for the likely 25 percent under-sampling of independent voters shows the results are quite different," Chambers wrote.

If the sample rate CNN used was more like that used by Rasmussen, Chambers adds, the results would "indicate a Romney lead over Obama of 53 percent to 45 percent."

. . .

Flynn goes on to explain that weighting isn't unusual in polling, but in this case, the weighting produced a 9-point swing in Obama's favor.

He adds that "if the weighting produces this big of a swing in the final results, you really ought to show your work." CNN, however, did not do that, he said.

"If they don't, then they've just been caught with their thumb on the scale," he concluded.

There's more at the link.

I know many people are confused over opinion polls that show President Obama leading Mitt Romney, or the two almost level-pegging.  I'm of a different opinion.  I think incidents like the Chick-Fil-A imbroglio, the Wisconsin recall election, the recent Atlanta tax rejection and other polarizing issues have demonstrated that 'grassroots America' is increasingly disenchanted with the present Administration, the Democratic Party, and their policies.  I agree with Borepatch that this election may well turn into an anti-Obama landslide.  I'm not sure I agree with his forecast margin of victory, but I'll be very surprised if it's a close race.

Peter