Keith Olbermann Misrepresents CNN Poll to Tie Sarah Palin to Tucson Shootings
On Monday, Keith Olbermann cherry-picked a Daily Kos/PPP poll to bash the Tea Party as a violent threat to America's elected officials.
On the following day's "Countdown," the MSNBCer misrepresented an Opinion Research/CNN poll to tie Sarah Palin to the Tucson shootings (video follows with transcript and commentary):
KEITH OLBERMANN: According to new polling out this week, nearly half of Americans think that harsh and violent political rhetoric was indeed to blame at least in part for the tragedy in Tucson, and more than half think it could easily cause a similar shooting in the future. In our third story, this puts a magnifying glass on the past rhetoric of several Republicans dipping their toes in the 2012 presidential pool. And if what we saw last night is any indication, it could take more than Sean Hannity to scrub the record.
Respondents to the Opinion Research/CNN poll were asked to assign degrees of blame to different factors leading up to the massacre. 35 percent thought Mrs. Palin’s infamous target map was a factor; 44 percent did not. A lack of resources for mental health care was identified as a big culprit, 70 percent said so. Asked about the use of harsh rhetoric and violent metaphors by politicians and commentators leading up to Tucson, the number was essentially split 48-49. But asked if harsh or violent discourse would quote “cause a future incident similar to the shootings in Arizona,” 54 percent said it was either very or somewhat likely.
Unlike Monday's disgraceful cherry-pick, what Olbermann and Company did Tuesday was play fast and loose with the data to make it seem that the number of folks that didn't feel Palin's map was a factor in the Tucson shootings was less than what the poll in question actually found.
Question 19 of the survey asked, "Overall, how much do you blame each of the following for the shooting in Arizona – a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
Here were some of the responses:
What Olbermann and Company did for the Palin option was add the "Great deal" responses to the "Moderate amount" ones to come up with 35 percent.
However, the "44 percent did not" comprised only those that said "Not at all." The "Not much" category was completely ignored.
As those familiar with poll reporting are well aware, if you're going to include "Moderate amount" with the "Yes" answers, it is customary to include the "Not much" replies with the "Nos".
What this means is Olbermann, if he was trying to be honest - I know that's a real stretch for this shill! - should have reported this datum, "35 percent thought Mrs. Palin’s infamous target map was a factor; 59 percent did not."
If he wasn't going to include the in-between responses, he should have said, "19 percent thought Mrs. Palin’s infamous target map was a factor; 44 percent did not."
I guess Olbermann didn't want his audience to know just how much respondents to this poll disagreed with him and the rest of the liberal media, especially those on MSNBC.
As further evidence of the intentional duplicity here, in the result Olbermann cited concerning the use of harsh rhetoric and violent metaphors by politicians and commentators, "Great deal" and "Moderate amount" were added together as were "Not much" and "Not at all."
Olbermann also included the "Moderate amount" total in what he reported were the number of people that felt a lack of resources for mental health was the culprit for the shootings.
And, as the "Countdown" host noted in the datum concerning the possibility of violent rhetoric causing a future incident, "54 percent said it was either very or somewhat likely."
As such, and quite hypocritically, only Palin's "Not much" numbers were omitted from Olbermann's report.
Since this follows the "Countdown" host cherry-picking a different poll on Monday to bash the Tea Party as a violent threat to elected officials, one has to wonder whether MSNBC has any standards concerning the accurate reporting of data by its commentators.
Are folks like Olbermann free to cherry-pick and misrepresent anything they want with total impunity as long as it advances this network's political agenda?
Assuming the answer to this question is "No," one has to wonder if there are any disciplinary actions for offenders.
On the other hand, if the answer is "Yes," why does MSNBC get to refer to itself as a news network?
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Comments
Does this jerk do anything
Submitted by Chris Norman on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:16am.
Does this jerk do anything but lie? His whole show is based on lies, distortions, misrepresentations, one-side presentations, and deliberate misinterpretations - all to taunt Republicans and conservatives and to throw red meat to the Kos Krowd.
Maybe we oughta bring polling into the trial for Loughner.
Submitted by The Vet on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:07am.
Instead of presenting silly things like evidence and exhibits, we will just poll the jurors and go from there.
or just poll liberals at
Submitted by Chris Norman on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:11am.
or just poll liberals at large and go with that....
Well, Vet---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:14am.
doing it that way worked out well for Orenthal James Simpson. MD"Liberals"
Submitted by DemsRFascists on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:17am.
Man, these people are nuts...
unhinged...
out of their minds...
They're inciting violence and hatred.
Pray for 'em.
Palin/Barbour '12
The most posted graphic ever...
Submitted by upcountrywater on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:26am.
The free posting of this one graphic is well HUGE.
Where can I get the high res for my screen background?
Turn it around Sarah, never stop using this famous graphic make em eat it.
Oh, gee... bath tub boy, better hope Concast luves your dingle berry picking of the facts.
You Didn't Build That.
Wishful thinking
Submitted by AgentAmerican on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 4:23am.
Part of me wants the left-wing scum to go too far...for some reason.The other half want them to vanish.
Loaded question?
Submitted by Denny Crane on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 6:32am.
I wonder how they worded that poll.
How much do you think that a map on Sarah Palin's website that marked 20 congressional districts, including the district that was represented by the congresswoman that was shot, with an image that looks like the crosshairs of a gun effected the right wing anti government radical nutjob that killed 6 people and wounded 14 more?
Push 1 for Great deal, 2 for moderate, 3 for not much, or 13 if you listen to right wing fringe radio and believe not at all, or 0 if you have no opinion.
We Are The 53%
If there is so much dangerous
Submitted by Nonanon on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 7:09am.
If there is so much dangerous stuff being said by so many dangerous people to so many dangerous people who have so many dangerous weapons, why are there not dozens or hundreds of these types of events happening all over the place (other than in Smiley's hallucinations)? It seems that if this was as the campaigners (F.K.A. reporters) claim, not a day would go by without an attack. But the truth is we know that isn't happening despite the liberals seemingly yearning for such, as they seem to be trying to push for people to commit more.
I am really surprised that more liberals aren't doing more since they have been immersed in similar vitriol for so many years now. The hate the left spews has been so bad at times while never taking responsibility for such.
Something else that I wonder about is why do so many people who think so much of themselves not seeming to be mad about having so much propoganda being passed off as truthful news? They are allowing themselves to be led about by lies pushed under the guise of objectivity and apparently fine with that.
MSNBC viewership?
Submitted by okiehawk44 on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 8:26am.
Nobody but NB staff and Daily Kos fans actually watch Olbermann or Maddow or Schultz even if the reasons are quite diverse.
Keefie doing a
Submitted by Iron Tigers Vet on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 8:31am.
"cherry pick"? No, couldn't happen. Olbie doesn't do things like that, he's with the most watched News program in the country on the most watched time frame on TV.
Certainly we can trust Olbie to tell us what is fact... shouldn't we? Let's take a look and see for ourselves... Here... just for starters. But we can overlook that can't we Keefie!
Bath Tub Boy
Submitted by RightRealDeal on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 8:36am.
Paging Mr. Olbermann, paging Mr. Olbermann:
You have a call from Comcast on line 1, they want to talk to you about ending your show and maybe doing cartoons, please pick up.
Hmmm, do I have this chain correct?
Submitted by IgnatzJFahrquar on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:24am.
MSNBC >>> NBC Universal >>> Comcast >>> Brian Roberts, CEO >>> Political donations to Republican candidates/causes
Ahhh, should Keef not be pissing off the boss?
Olbermoronn
Submitted by Cactus Kurt on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:24am.
I'm surprised Olbermoronn didn't make the story about him as he usually does.
Keith Olbermann misrepresents....
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:26am.
Yawn......dog bites man.
Yeah whatever Keith, you're
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:10am.
Yeah whatever Keith, you're so F'd up lately you cannot even tie your shoelaces, let alone tying Sarah Palin and the tradgedy in Tucson together.
Every real America knows the truth, it happened as a direct result of the Ass Clown's narcissistic belligerence toward the good people of Arizona simply because they dared to do something to stop the murder of innocent citizens.
Murders brought about by HIS very own un - American illegal immigration policies and subsequent federal lawsuit against the state.
Talk about bringing the crazies out of the woodwork by putting a target on somebodies back. The Ass Clown has effectively done that to an entire sovereign state.
Funny, you don't hear this irrefutable fact discussed in the lame street media.
Wake up America and smell the reality, if not there's a real possibility it will kill you.
Barack_Must_Go.....
I liked his Speshul Komment on Monday
Submitted by Texndoc on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:40am.
You know, the "I did a Speshul Komment the night of the Palin shootings, and not ONE PERSON paid any attention to it! Boy am I mad!"
Kieth and his Crosshair comment
Submitted by NVRAT on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:27am.
It appears to me that all the crap spewed out by Lefties like Kieth and his friends for 40-50 years had finally tripped the switch of this Leftie in AZ. He is a product of left wing propaganda, political correctness, feel good teaching, thug huggers, anti-american, anti death sentence, anti gun, anti work, social structuring, etc. etc., etc. Instead the MSM wll run their fog machines 24/7 and try to hide the real reason for the shootings. Jared Loughner is the pennacle of left wing teachings and ideology.
A Leopard never changes his spots...only the method of attack. Beware in 2012.
Bathtub boy lies daily
Submitted by Beukeboom on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:39am.
Bathtub boy lies daily on-air. No big shock there.
C'mon Comcast...time to clean house at MSNBC and start anew.
a poll??
Submitted by dmaley1714 on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:53am.
Are they really using a poll to find out the facts of a murder investigation. This is the dumbest thing I have ever seen on TV. How about things like evidence , proof, witnesses.
More Fox News style hypocrisy
Submitted by Clevenative on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:23am.
What Olbermann did is EXACTLY what Rasmussen (in cahoots with Fox News) have done ever since they changed the way they do approval ratings for the president (ever since Obama was elected). They combine the 2 lower levels of disaproval to make Obama's approval rating seem lower than every other pollster. It's unbelievavle that "newsbusters" would even try to take this spin in an attempt to discredit Olbermann. (Well, maybe not - expected is more like it.) Talk about a double standard!
Do we enjoy our KOOL-AID?
Submitted by M.Maurer73 on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 12:02pm.
Clevenative Do you enjoy your KOOL-AID?
No one has to "attempt to discredit Olbermann"
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 1:27pm.
He does it to himself every time he opens his lying piehole.
Now run back over to HuffPo and tell them your mission failed miserably.
"Rasmussen (in cahoots with
Submitted by Beukeboom on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 3:00pm.
"Rasmussen (in cahoots with Fox News)"
Prove it.
hahahaha
Submitted by Denny Crane on Fri, 01/21/2011 - 5:14am.
3 years and that's the best you can come up with?
Soros must pay you by the word.
We Are The 53%
And?
Submitted by M.Maurer73 on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:55am.
Are we really surprised? As for punishment? Get real,after he admitted to donating to two political candidates(supposedly a huge No No at MSNBC) he was suspended 'indefinately'. Apparently in the dictionaries MSNBC has laying are the office indefinitely has a different meaning:
in·def·i·nite·ly adverba period of time not lasting longer than two or three days. For the purpose of trying to convince the public that you take your journalistic stanards & integrity(neither of which actually exist)seriously. While at the same accusing FOX on air talent of doing the exact same thing, demanding FOX fire them outright..