About Josh Marshall at "TPM" saying: "KUCINICH PREYING ON SIMPLE MINDS"

[KoKo]

About TPM saying: "KUCINICH PREYING ON SIMPLE MINDS"

I've been reading Josh Marshall since before he started Talking Points Memo...and so I don't want to be angry with him about this. I respect his writing and like much about TPM and what he's trying to achieve with the site. But, he has given very little coverage to Edwards (which many of his readers have been complaining about) and none that I've seen to Kucinich except for this very snarky mention in his Blog today.

I was shocked to find this up on TPM...under Josh's byline. I thought when I saw the headline it was a joke from some RW Hate Blog. Sadly, it wasn't.

I just now politely e-mailed Josh mentioning to him the PDA Survey and how it wasn't a poll that one could vote in over and over just to pump Kucinich, but a poll for registered members. And, I did point out to him that it was surprising to see him refer to his those of his TPM Kucinich supporting readers as "Simple Minded."

Maybe some PDA Supporters could give him some more information and try to help him understand how offensive his post was. He even says he's part of the "Reality Based Community" which creeped me out because it's a Bush term.
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Kucinich Preying on Simple Minds
01.17.08 -- 4:37PM
By Josh Marshall

It's actually kind of sad seeing Dennis Kucinich stooping so low as to bamboozle his devoted followers. I suppose there are many reasons to love Dennis Kucinich. And yet poll leader is really not one of them. Admittedly he has consistently outpolled Mike Gravel. But I'm pretty sure he hasn't outpolled any of the other Democrats in the race. Nor should we forgot that that tally includes public support powerhouses like Sens. Dodd and Biden. And yet in the last few days we've started getting a steady stream of emails from Kucinich supporters asking why we don't publish the polls where Kucinich is in the lead. In fact, one reader said that all the polls she's seen have Dennis in the lead and we're no better than the MSM for keeping them secret.

So I asked one of the emailers what the deal was and I was directed to this section of the Kucinich website entitled "The polls you may have missed."

more of this and Josh's Screen Capture of Polls on Kucinich's Website...and stuff
at...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/064037.php

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. That sucks :^(

[wintersoulja]

2. lol

at least now you know better than to place trust in someone who would bamboozle their followers.
Id be happy to put my simple mind up against his, but Im not a bully.

[cloudythescribbler]

3. I'm not sure that Kucinich himself knows of this, but it IS bogus

I say that as someone who likes Kucinich, and who has insisted that he should be included in the debates. After all, Dodd and Biden were included with less support than Kucinich has now (in reality, not in a fantasy world where Kucinich is outpolling HRC ...).

It is quite possible that this is the work of someone who might very well be unpaid, and that these bogus polls have not (until Josh Marshall) been even brought to Kucinich's personal attention.

[KoKo]

5. I hope other DU'ers and David Swanson will "politely" e-mail Josh about this

that 's all I'm hoping...

[featherman]

4. Dennis has done well on several DU votes and I have no doubt he

could lead in nearly any PDA vote as well ( I should hope so! He is the most progressive candidate after all). No doubt he would also lead in a "vote" of those who visit his website. But these are not true polls.

I think Josh's point is that calling these "polls" is a bit misleading since "poll" is by definition a random sample taken under scientific method to determine candidates popularity among the general population of a particular voting entity (city, state, nation, etc).

Josh's language may have been strong but his point is valid... Dennis' website is calling some result "polls" that are not true polls

[Bucky]

6. The headline was on Dennis4President.com. Is that site an official organ of Kucinich's campaign?

If Dennis4President.com belongs to the Kucinich campaign, rather than a "fan site," then the charge is fair. Calling an internet survey a "poll" is deliberately misleading. Josh seems to be suggesting that he's pointing this out after getting a barrage of emails to check out these polls on Dennis4President.com.

If he's taking a potshot at them for their dishonesty, it may be because they bugged him to check the website out.

[Kucinich4America]

7. And another DLC shit for brains jumps on the Bash Dennis bandwagon

So is he Will Marshall's son, or is it just a coincidence that two DLC propagandists have the same last name?

[Yukari Yakumo]

8. I think the point he's trying to make is...

Kucinich supporters and even the Kucinich campaign itself is a bit delusional. Answer me this, why on Earth would the Kucinich campaign insist on trumpeting "polls" who's nature is highly dubious? It can be summarized in one word...


(Spin spin spin...)

Not exactly something anyone would associate with a campaign built, in part, on integrity.

[Bitwit1234]

9. Just like he who can not be denied....only there minds are smaller.

[paulk]

10. nothing wrong with what TPM says

"Time after time after time, Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has topped every other candidate in major polls that the major media have either downplayed, dismissed or ignored completely. So, for the benefit of anyone who wonders about the strength and depth of Dennis's support all across the country, take a look for yourselves.


Needless to say the polls are bogus website 'polls' where anybody can vote a million times, not 'polls' as the term is understood in the reality-based universe."

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Wouldn't one have to be rather simple minded to fall for this?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. Hmm. I Found It To Actually Be A Pretty Well Written Article.

What is the problem I'm supposed to be having with it, exactly?