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Pollster: Bush 2000 win due to media calling race
Mathaba News ^ | 9/28/2006

Posted on 09/28/2006 4:54:43 PM PDT by Hadean

Boston Globe - CONCORD, N.H.: A former national pollster argues in his new book that Al Gore really won the 2000 presidential election, but premature calls by the media for George Bush took Gore's victory away.

David Moore's book, "How to Steal an Election," argues Al Gore rightfully won the presidency.

Moore, a former University of New Hampshire professor, said he knows his premise is a "hard sell" and insists the book is not partisan.

His former bosses -- the Gallup Poll -- disagreed and fired him after he told them about the book last spring, he said.

Gallup General Counsel Steve O'Brien told the Concord Monitor on Wednesday that writing the book was a "colossally stupid" thing for Moore to do given the polling firm's nonpartisan mission. O'Brien scoffed at the idea that any book with such a title could be impartial.

Moore disagrees and believes he was being "as objective as you can be about what really happened."

"All I do is present evidence about how an election was stolen," he said.

Moore founded the University of New Hampshire Survey Center in the 1970s but left in 1993 to take a job with the Gallup Poll.

His book focuses on the people who analyzed the votes for network television in 2000. He argues that the networks too quickly put Florida in Bush's win column -- effectively giving him the electoral votes needed for victory and influencing the ultimate outcome when the fight over who won Florida went to court.

Moore said even though the networks rescinded the call within hours, Gore looked like a sore loser for seeking a recount in Florida.

That impression influenced not only public opinion but also judicial outlook, making it possible for the U.S. Supreme Court to shut down the recount, Moore argues.

Fox called the race for Bush at 2:15 a.m. NBC followed, then CBS/CNN's joint team and finally ABC. Two hours later, they all retracted that projection.

Moore also noted Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is Bush's brother and a cousin, John Ellis, was on Fox's team that called the race. Ellis said he made the call by looking at the vote tallies and making back-of-the-envelope calculations.

"Why would Jeb Bush care whether Fox called it at 2:15 in the morning or at 8:15 in the morning? Why would he care?" Moore told the Monitor. "Why would you care if you know you're going to win, if you absolutely know you're going to win, does it matter whether Fox calls it? Of course not."

Moore said networks were blinded by competition and rushed to call the race after Fox -- a charge the other networks deny.

Moore said on election night 2000 he observed the team calling the elections for CBS and CNN. Just after 1 a.m., Moore said he asked the head of the CBS/CNN team why he hadn't called Florida for Bush. The team leader said the margin was too small, but Moore said the network called the race an hour later, minutes after Fox and NBC.

CBS's team leader insisted he was almost ready to call the race when the others did.

Moore believes the pressure was too great for the network to wait and the rush to be first still affects accuracy in calling races.

Bush won Florida by 537 votes.

A media consortium conducted a manual recount of contested ballots and found that Gore would still have lost if the recount he had sought had been done. Gore wanted a recount in a few counties. The consortium said a statewide recount probably would have given Gore the election by about 100 votes.

Moore's book has been released only to a few bookstores. Its official release is next month.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2000election; bds; bush; cantgetoverit; florida; gore; moredemlies; peterjennings; revisionism
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That's funny. I recall this little event:

"Al Gore wins the state of Florida and its 25 electoral votes," announced Peter Jennings of ABC News. "It gives him the first big-state momentum of the evening. This is the biggest state where the race has been close and the fourth biggest electoral prize."

1 posted on 09/28/2006 4:54:44 PM PDT by Hadean
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To: Hadean

This professor is not a PHD...he is an ASS!


2 posted on 09/28/2006 4:56:34 PM PDT by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
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To: Hadean

3 posted on 09/28/2006 4:57:25 PM PDT by COEXERJ145 (Free Republic is Currently Suffering a Pandemic of “Bush Derangement Syndrome.”)
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To: Hadean

THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TRUTH.

I remember driving home from work about about
7:00 pm Pacific time and hesring CBS radio report Florida for Gore.

I remember how my heart sank.


4 posted on 09/28/2006 4:59:04 PM PDT by BenLurkin ("The entire remedy is with the people." - W. H. Harrison)
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To: Hadean

"Moore, a former University of New Hampshire professor, said he knows his premise is a "hard sell" and insists the book is not partisan."

Well.... I guess that settles it.


5 posted on 09/28/2006 4:59:12 PM PDT by aquila48
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To: Hadean

Exactly. They had effectively already called the race for Gore long before they were forced to reverse themselves in the wee hours....LONG AFTER THE POLLS CLOSED.


6 posted on 09/28/2006 4:59:27 PM PDT by Paul Ross (We cannot be for lawful ordinances and for an alien conspiracy at one and the same moment.-Cicero)
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To: Hadean

"his premise is a "hard sell" and insists the book is not partisan.

His former bosses -- the Gallup Poll -- disagreed and fired him after he told them about the book last spring, he said."


I would fire him too.

The press called it for Gore.


7 posted on 09/28/2006 4:59:43 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar ("Being nice will get us killed")
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To: Hadean

Tee hee....isn't this the same university where the professor is all over TV telling the world that our President blew up the WTC?


8 posted on 09/28/2006 4:59:45 PM PDT by OldFriend (Should we wait for them to come and kill us again? President Karzai 9/26/06)
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To: Don Corleone

PHD == Piled Hip Deep...


9 posted on 09/28/2006 5:00:52 PM PDT by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: Hadean

They are still recounting the 2000 election.


LOL.



Well, maybe it keeps them off the streets and out of trouble.


10 posted on 09/28/2006 5:00:56 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Hadean

The important fact in all this is how an obviously partisan apparatchik was able to get such a sensitive position with "non-partisan" Gallup.

There is no way anyone can factually state "Gore would have won..." without supposing facts not in evidence combined with a giant leap down the Kool Aid rabbit hole.


11 posted on 09/28/2006 5:01:02 PM PDT by Bob J (RIGHTALK.com...a conservative alternative to NPR!)
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To: Hadean

LOL.Dims never let facts get in the way of a good story.


12 posted on 09/28/2006 5:01:06 PM PDT by Thombo2
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To: Hadean

Didn't the make the initial Florida call for Gore BEFORE the polls had closed in the Panhandle?


13 posted on 09/28/2006 5:01:14 PM PDT by MediaMole (9/11 - We have already forgotten.)
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To: Hadean

If Socialism lasts 10,000 years, its worshippers will never forget the Great Florida Defeat of 2000.


14 posted on 09/28/2006 5:02:05 PM PDT by samtheman (The Democrats are Instituting their own Guest Voter Program.)
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To: BenLurkin

VNS called Florida for Gore at 8 p.m.


15 posted on 09/28/2006 5:04:15 PM PDT by Howlin (Declassify the Joe Wilson "Report!")
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To: Hadean

They AREN'T really stooping this freaking low are they? Oh yes, they are.

AL Gore tired to steal the election, we all saw it with our own eyes, and the rats have rewritten history once again.


16 posted on 09/28/2006 5:04:19 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: MediaMole

Dan Rather did that one


17 posted on 09/28/2006 5:04:40 PM PDT by misterrob
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To: Hadean
That impression influenced not only public opinion but also judicial outlook, making it possible for the U.S. Supreme Court to shut down the recount, Moore argues.  This statement is opinion not fact.

Moore also noted Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is Bush's brother  ???  So what?

A media consortium conducted a manual recount of contested ballots and found that Gore would still have lost if the recount he had sought had been done. Gore wanted a recount in a few counties. The consortium said a statewide recount probably would have given Gore the election by about 100 votes. I have never heard this last statement. Since the consortium didn't recount the entire state it is wholly irresponsible to make this claim.


18 posted on 09/28/2006 5:05:58 PM PDT by HawaiianGecko (Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.)
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To: Hadean
I see the dems are so utterly desperate they're floating the same old tired trial balloon. They are beyond pathetic.

The simple truth about election 2000

19 posted on 09/28/2006 5:06:03 PM PDT by right wing (The Drive-By Media Are Terrorists Too)
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To: BenLurkin

You are dead on. I was supervisor of flying for my unit that night and glued to the TV ALL DAY AND NIGHT long. The truth is EVERY outlet was fcalling Florida for Gore. And, humorously enough, I distinctly rember one outlet having Mary Matalin on with that arrogant and smirky Mike McCurry as FLORIDA WAS BEING CALLED FOR GORE and it was MAry Matalin who stopped the conversation to demand they acknowledge that the Pan Handle has not been called in and that it was an hour behind.

The writer of this trash hack book is one audacious LIAR.


20 posted on 09/28/2006 5:07:28 PM PDT by ICE-FLYER (God bless and keep the United States of America)
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