Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

CBS Trumpets Obama's 'Growing Lead' in Own Poll; Barely Mentions Republicans' Enthusiasm to Vote
NewsBusters.org ^ | September 26, 2012 | Matthew Balan

Posted on 09/26/2012 4:10:04 PM PDT by Kaslin

Norah O'Donnell was ready to tie the toe tag on Mitt Romney's presidential campaign on Wednesday's CBS This Morning, as the morning newscast hyped the latest numbers from the Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll, especially President Obama's 10-point lead in Ohio. After mentioning Romney's latest 60-second TV spot, O'Donnell twice wondered, "Is it too late? The voting in Ohio starts next week."

As Charlie Rose spotlighted the President's "growing lead" in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida, according to his network's poll. But it took the program more than an hour to mention only in passing that "Republican voters remain more enthusiastic about voting than the Democrats," without mentioning the specific numbers.

O'Donnell zeroed in on Ohio during her lead-in to correspondent Jan Crawford's report on the poll numbers: "The poll shows...[in] Ohio - look at this - the President leads Governor Mitt Romney by ten points. And, of course...no Republican has ever won the election while losing Ohio." The CBS journalist pointed out that besides Obama's lead, "there are other troubling signs for Romney. Voters in Ohio and the two other swing states we surveyed now give the President the edge on the economy, the cornerstone of Romney's campaign. And those voters also say they believe Romney's policies will favor the rich."

After Crawford's report, Rose and O'Donnell brought on new CBS News political analyst Frank Luntz, who immediately affirmed the network's polling:

LUNTZ: ...[T]he Romney campaign's whole philosophy behind this election said this would be a referendum on Barack Obama. The Obama campaign thought that this was going to be a choice. Both of them are wrong. It has become a referendum on Mitt Romney, and because they didn't do the ads early enough. They didn't explain who Mitt Romney was early enough. It mean that all of the Obama attacks of the last three or four weeks - they're showing results. You see it in your own surveys.

The PBS veteran followed up by asking, "Looking at this widening gap, is President Obama winning, or is Governor Romney losing?" Luntz answered that "it has to be a combination of both, but it is very easy for someone's perceptions to be destroyed if they don't know anything about you. In the polling that we've done in some of these swing states, still a third of Americans don't know what Bain Capital actually does, and when you have that little awareness, that little knowledge, it makes the negative attacks effective."

O'Donnell then chimed in with her doom and gloom, "is it too late" prodding about Romney:

O'DONNELL: So, I spent a lot of time last night talking to a lot of Republicans and Democrats myself to, sort of, see what was going on. This 47 percent ad - that secret video from inside that fundraiser ad – the Obama team was running it just in Ohio. Now, they've gone up in seven other swing states with it. There are Republicans that I talked to – acknowledge that ad is working, and that's why they went up, and that's why we see these numbers in Ohio stretching out. What does Romney do now? I mean, we see this morning he's got this new ad where he's speaking directly to the camera for 60 seconds. But is it too late? The voting in Ohio starts next week.

LUNTZ: Well, two points: one is, the reason why that 47 percent is working, is because it's new information. We don't want to hear the same thing over and over again. And so, voters pay attention to it, to see what Mitt Romney is saying-

O'DONNELL: But look at this ad now. For the first time, Romney is now speaking directly to the people in a 60-second ad. Is that too late?

LUNTZ: Yes – in a simple answer, yes. That should have been done three or four months ago. Mitt Romney solidified his control of the Republican Party back in late April. Why is this ad only running now? I think, when we look back at this campaign, we're going to realize that you can't have the same impact in September that you could have in June, July, and August.

Luntz would later give a caveat about the remaining weeks of the presidential race: "These debates can and do make a difference. If there is a defining moment – and it won't be an issue - if there's a defining moment in the debate, it can still shift. But Mitt Romney has 90 seconds in the opening of that first debate to make a difference."

The CBS morning show anchor been in death watch mode towards the Republican presidential campaign for almost two weeks. After Romney's slam of the U.S. embassy in Egypt's reaction to a destructive protest that stormed its wall, O'Donnell emphasized on September 13 that "Republicans...are saying that Governor Romney stepped in it." When the hidden camera video from the far left magazine Mother Jones emerged, she wondered, "Did Mitt Romney just insult many of the people who end up voting Republican?"

Crawford mentioned the enthusiasm gap at the end of her report recapping the poll results just after the top of the 8 am Eastern hour - more than an hour after her first report: "The Romney campaign says it is not worried. Their internal polling has these numbers much closer together. They say this is still a very tight race. And they also point to enthusiasm. That is actually reflected in our poll. The Republican voters remain more enthusiastic about voting than the Democrats."

CBS This Morning did something similar back on September 19, 2012. It took them over an hour to acknowledge that "this race is not over for Mitt Romney," based on the network's own polling. O'Donnell herself noted that "Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats about voting this year in general, and that enthusiasm has actually...grown since early August."



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012polls
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-54 last
To: Kaslin

Do these juveniles not see that Obama is HORRIBLE; has taken this country into awful debt, turned the Middle East over to the Muslim Brotherhood, taken the unemployment numbers higher and higher, glorified depravity, run his teleprompter mouth endlessly . . . by now the egregiousness of this HORRIBLE man and his communist regime is beyond description . . and yet, this MSM we’ve gotten stuck with are steeped in propaganda of the lowest order. . . while posing as “intelligent journalists”.


41 posted on 09/26/2012 5:24:31 PM PDT by Twinkie (IT'S THE STUPID ECONOMY, STUPID!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: paul544

Your peddling a hit piece from ABC seriously ??
The All Barack Channel whose news division is run by Clinton’s former smear merchant George Steppy ??
The ABC that ran a infomercial for Obamacare !
It’s a Obama front group that will edit and twist anything
Romney says,


42 posted on 09/26/2012 5:30:33 PM PDT by ncalburt (Axelrod Psych OPS has gone to 24/7 non stop - "The election is over " status until Nov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
These polls are working overtime at trying to blow a massive amount of smoke up America's ass.

What will be much more interesting will be to hear their explanation on NOV 7th of WHAT went WRONG and WHY ROMNEY WON despite all these polls saying he wouldn't.

43 posted on 09/26/2012 5:32:48 PM PDT by VideoDoctor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NKP_Vet

Hence the reason MSNBC is starting to beat FNC on occasion the last couple of months. Conservatives are tuning out and liberals want the hardcore real lefties.


44 posted on 09/26/2012 5:33:47 PM PDT by snarkytart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ncalburt

Hit piece??? Are you saying Romney didn’t say what they are reporting? Forget who’s reporting it. Look at what the man is saying. You may not like it, but there it is.


45 posted on 09/26/2012 5:40:45 PM PDT by paul544
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: NKP_Vet

O’Reilly has Dick Morris on to help explain the polling and BOR is so condescending and rude to him. Treats him like a parent scolding a child. He did it really bad late last week and again tonight. I like to hear Morris, but simply can’t stand Bill anymore. His behavior with Morris and his horrible lecturing of Monica Lewinski is just getting out of hand.


46 posted on 09/26/2012 5:42:46 PM PDT by dandiegirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ncalburt

Bob Beckel said that Scott Walker would lose in a landslide..predicted it a month before the actual recall vote..was all smug about it saying he can’t wait to see Walker’s ass booted out of office..gee I wonder what happened..oh yeah NOW I remember..WALKER WON!! And by a pretty darn good margin.
Just go out and vote, this is all meant to depress people..and I hope that people don’t fall for it. Is Romney not the best candidate in the world, absolutely, but we have to get Obama out, that is my priority..I will deal with Romney later, but we have to get Obama out otherwise its over for this country.
The Media knows that people still believe the crap that comes out of their traps, and believe in bogus polls, someone sitting at home who will vote for Romney will see this BS and think why bother, that is what the media(And lets stop calling them the media, its pravda, its another arm of the Dem party) we must all go to the polls and do what we have to do to kick Obama’s Commie ass out!


47 posted on 09/26/2012 5:47:50 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: paul544

I am saying you actually think ABC would not edit and twist everything said by Romney interpreted in the most negative manner is strange !
You actually
Think ABC would ever be fair to Obama’s opponent ??
For crying out loud , George S was caught having a monday Weekly call with the WH to put out the weekly spin .

Your doing The budding of this Obama media front group
By not warning everyone it was a ABC hit piece you’ link to .


48 posted on 09/26/2012 5:49:22 PM PDT by ncalburt (Axelrod Psych OPS has gone to 24/7 non stop - "The election is over " status until Nov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: paul544

I am saying you actually think ABC would not edit and twist everything said by Romney interpreted in the most negative manner is strange !
You actually
Think ABC would ever be fair to Obama’s opponent ??
For crying out loud , George S was caught having a monday Weekly call with the WH to put out the weekly spin .

Your doing The budding of this Obama media front group
By not warning everyone it was a ABC hit piece you’ link to .


49 posted on 09/26/2012 5:54:03 PM PDT by ncalburt (Axelrod Psych OPS has gone to 24/7 non stop - "The election is over " status until Nov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: plushaye

Yeah if Obama has Wisconsin in the bag why is he even campaigning there? Its just common sense, you dont waste your time in a state that you already won, it would be like seeing Obama campaign in Vermont, or Romney campaigning in Texas or South Carolina, its just that simple


50 posted on 09/26/2012 6:00:22 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

I’ll never understand how those ridiculous and shallow ads can influence people.
They’re laughable, on both sides, yet they sway people. Hard to believe.


51 posted on 09/26/2012 6:08:44 PM PDT by cydcharisse (`)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dandiegirl

Morris should never go on BOR. He tried the same crap with Michele Malkin a couple of years ago and she refuses to go on his show any longer. O’Reilly can’t stand anyone who has a strong opinion. His opinion is the only one that counts. He has always got to be the teacher and belittle others if they don’t agree with his every word. Malkin would have no part of his BS.


52 posted on 09/26/2012 6:35:08 PM PDT by NKP_Vet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: paul544

What exactly did he say but “polls go up and down” and they’re just gonna keep on doing their thing, and that the debates are a good opportunity to reach a lot of people all at once and get your message out.
I didn’t read into that he was losing and was hoping that he could get some traction after the debates.


53 posted on 09/26/2012 6:47:48 PM PDT by snarkytart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
A THEORY: "Why Republicans are Being Undersampled"

Republicans have been largely inoculated from participation.

Over the last 2 months, I have been called HUNDREDS of times urging me to vote GOP or participate in a poll, most of which are probably BS push-polls, and lots of robo-call blah-blah. The result of this is that AS SOON as I get a sense that a call is political, I immediately hang up. Whereas in other years I might have been eager to participate in a "real poll," I now have no patience at all for this stuff, I'm just too busy. The result is, if the NYT poll or the CBS poll or anyone else calls, It is literally impossible for them to get a response from me.

Maybe the Democrats are getting as many calls as I am (which would be mind-boggling). But suppose the GOP is doing a lot more calling than the Dems: That would mean the the Dems would be more likely to engage, because they haven't been burned with massive over-the-top constant every 30 minutes political calls, and are thus a little more patient. Or maybe lots of these calls and phoney polls are Dem operations, engaged in for the purpose of burning out Republicans, so they won't answer the real polls.

I'm in battleground state Colorado, and I now literally ignore the phone MOST OF THE TIME.

54 posted on 09/26/2012 8:28:01 PM PDT by cookcounty (Kagan and Sotomayor side with Joe Wilson: -------Obama DID lie!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-54 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson