WaPo, ABC Pay for Poll Question on Bristol Palin's Dancing Skills
It's fair game to discuss whether Bristol Palin arrived at the finals of ABC's Dancing with the Stars on talent alone (instead of being judged with telephone voting). But ABC and The Washington Post were Palin-obsessed enough to actually pay for a poll question on the matter. The headline in Tuesday's paper was "Poll numbers suggest Bristol doesn't have 'Dancing' legs to stand on." (On the website's homepage, the headline was "Poll: Palin a finalist because of mother.") TV writer Lisa de Moraes announced the public verdict:
Fifty-four percent of Americans think Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol is one of the finalists on "Dancing With the Stars" because of large-scale voting by viewers who support her mother, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News.
Just 14 percent of respondents think Bristol is still in the competition because she is one of this season's best dancers on the show.
An additional 26 percent responded that they had no opinion on the subject. (The remaining respondents cited either "both" reasons or "neither.")
...Among those who think Bristol is still dancing on the show because of large-scale support for Sarah, they were asked whether that was a good-enough reason for Bristol to have survived to the final week. "Not good enough," responded 68 percent of the people: "Good enough," responded 26 percent, while 6 percent had no opinion.
Online, LDM's article actually rehashed the finale's contents from Monday night. But the paper only cared about the poll numbers. ABC and the Post did not limit the poll to people who told them they had actually ever watched Palin's daughter on the program. It was a random sample. So the "sampling error" also has a "non-viewing error" in it:
The Washington Post-ABC News telephone poll was conducted this past Sunday - five days after show host Tom Bergeron announced that Bristol would be one of this week's finalists and pop singer Brandy Norwood had been booted from the competition. Brandy's outster prompted some members in the studio audience - a vocal bunch of fans who don't hesitate to shout out how they feel about, for instance, the judges' scoring - to begin to boo.
The poll was conducted among a random national sample of 514 adults, and interviews were conducted on conventional phones and cellphones. The results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
It's not unfair to insist Palin's daughter wouldn't be in the finals without support from her mother's fans. It would be silly to insist Palin's daughter would be on this show at all without her mother. But the Post's anti-Palin feelings are showing. Can you imagine ABC and the Post paying for a poll question asking whether Chelsea Clinton's talents landed her a six-figure job?
The Post's bias also showed inside the Style section on Tuesday, where they illustrated a Michael Cavna story on left-wing Politico cartoonist Matt Wuerker winning the National Press Foundation's Berryman award for editorial cartooning with a dated cartoon of "Palinstein" getting away from mad scientist McCain and trampling the "Big Tent" of the GOP.
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Comments
Get this...my mom, who is 79
Submitted by msh1973 on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:11am.
Get this...my mom, who is 79 years old, thinks that it is the "Tea Partiers" who have voted for Miss Palin, they are "sabotaging the whole show", she says. My mother has bought the entire line of the liberal media...I tried to tell her the truth. This is a woman who voted for Bush twice and loves Marco Rubio...oh well. The folks that watch Dancing with the Stars love this show.
Too bad they didn't pay this
Submitted by gitarfan on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:14am.
Too bad they didn't pay this much attention to real voter fraud.
Alaskan Panthers?
Submitted by Agnostic on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:27am.
Bristol has taken over the Black Panthers and is intimidating voters?
We have DWTS finalist not because of talent but because of the public appeal of her family.
We have a POTUS not because of his abilities but because of the public appeal of his media image.
Which should be more news worthy and more pertinent to the nation?
Excellent point, Agnostic
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:55am.
The MSM is fretting over a popularity contest with an unscientific voting mechanism as if it were the 2000 Presidential election.
The best dancers doesn't always win Dancing with the Stars.
The best singer doesn't always win American Idol.
The best film doesn't always win the Oscar.
And the best leader doesn't always win elections.
But if they're going to vet Bristol Palin on her dancing talent, they ought to take a good hard look back at the lack of vetting they did on Obama, and admit their bias.
I have a friend ( I don't
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:18am.
I have a friend ( I don't think I can call her a liberal; she's just really not very politically savvy) who hated George W. Bush like a kid hates spinach. When I would ask her why, she couldn't articulate a single reason. She couldn't wait to vote for Obama. why? She just thought he was so smart, and he has "such a nice family."
So apparently that's good enough reason to vote for president, but not a dancing contestant.
When did the Post become US Weekly???
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:28am.
Apparently at a time when newspaper revenue is falling wildly, the WaPo still has money to burn.
Do these folks really have nothing better to spend money on?
It's just funny to see all these libs now crying that favoritism is bad, and the "contest" should be decided solely on aibility.
Do they care at all about, and did they cover the fact that Bristol received an envelope with a white powder in it?
Have they reported that the producers have had to ramp up security, and do away with the usual outside-the studio interviews?
North Korean nukes or Bristol-gate?
Submitted by Cactus Kurt on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:55am.
The economy is in shambles, there's double-digit unemployment, North Korea has mystery nukes, yet the WaPo uses their resources investigating Bristol-gate. No wonder they're circling the drain.
Oh please. All of these faux
Submitted by equusarts on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:26am.
Oh please. All of these faux reality shows that rely on votes from the public can and have been swayed. Look at American Idol for goodness sakes. Give it up Palin bashers!! If you are that pi$$ed, gather your groups together and vote for another dancer....sheesh!!
Waste more $$$$
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 3:19pm.
Maybe SEIU can blow $ millions on a campaign to cram votes against Bristol Palin into the system.
Isn't it about time for some idiot like Elton John to speak out?
Just when you think WaPo and
Submitted by Bruzilla on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:30am.
Just when you think WaPo and ABC can't possibly sink any lower, they do this. They never cease to amaze.
Wait 'til they put the Palin toddlers on 'reality' TV
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 3:22pm.
Then the MSM can get apoplectic.
Meanwhile, the Palins are amassing $ millions.
The lefties , in and out of the media are beside themselves....
Submitted by wedapeople on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:31am.
When the actual numbers finally do come out and show just how badly Ms Palin whopped all arses... The nuts at nutroots are really gonna....... well .. go nuts !
I Voted
Submitted by Jimbo on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:35am.
I logged onto ABC.com and voted for Palin. Never watched the show. Don't know if she can dance or not. What I do know is, the MSM is trying to influence her loss, and a win will drive the liberals quite insane. I can't think of a better reason to cast a vote. Well, actually 5 votes. Each sign on can vote five times.
Excellent point: "It would
Submitted by Free Thinker on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:36am.
Excellent point: "It would be silly to insist Palin's daughter would be on this show at all without her mother."
I agree with Jimbo, I have never seen the show and don't care but I am going to vote for her now just to upset the left that has drawn attention to this silliness.
Actually if they are right
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 9:41am.
Actually if they are right and Palin has been buoyed up by voters on a reality show, then it shows Sarah Palin can win the popular vote. I personally want to see her win DWTS just to hear the collective pop when their heads explode. I think Kyle is the best though.
Did you actually mean
Submitted by Iron Tigers Vet on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:05am.
"collective pop" or "collective poop"?
The left is so full of it, I would guess that's what would come out.
Bristol Palin
Submitted by cocodrie on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:08am.
If Bristol Palin and her partner were the reincarnation of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire they would still be unacceptable to the press because of her name.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
People vote for Palin simply
Submitted by bassndude on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:13am.
People vote for Palin simply to confuse the media. To collectively say to the media, you guys dont have any of the answers and your opinions dont matter to the general population.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal/troll!!
A different take.............
Submitted by Tomorama on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:15am.
Fifty-four percent of Americans think Barack Obama is the President on "Voting with the Socialists" because of large-scale fraud by the mainstream media who supported him because he could read a binkyprompter and the color of his skin, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News.
Just 14 percent of respondents who are all Black, think Obama is still the greatest President in history because he is one of this season's best binkyprompter readers ever and he gives folks stuff for free.
Let's have a new poll.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:24am.
Who thinks Muffin-top McCain speaks for the, like, you know, 30 something, like, Republicans?
I mean, WHAT eveeeeeeer!
I think I just saw a "poll" on Barack Hussein Obama where only 39% of Americans now think he can "dance' yo.
These freaking morons are so obsessed
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:43am.
with anything about Palin that they cannot get their heads out of their own butts long enough to understand what is going on other than "It's a Tea Party Plot".
Because it is a call in vote and people that call in do so for assorted reasons other than just talent so such things do happen. Recall the Indian gent that kept getting returned to perform on American Idol. Does anyone think he was returned to compete for any reason other than a large Indian community wanted to see him win?
Instead of leaving the kid alone to compete, these scum buckets have to smear her. It's just pathetic how transparently biased and mean these ass wipes are and stupidly they put their biases on display.
Having the unfortunate luck
Submitted by hillbillyhatfield on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 10:46am.
Having the unfortunate luck of having the misses watch this show(I think it's a mental condition that i'm trying to get her to get medically check out), I have watched about half of bristol's dances. And she is not very good. she is stiff, like anyone who isn't a professional dancer is. And she should have been voted off along time ago. But she is getting the popular vote of her mother. That isn't hard to understand. It's just that liberals don't understand if you degrade a person for reasons why they shouldn't be, then people see that person as a underdog, and we Americans love a underdog.
The more MSM complain the more votes Bristol gets. If they just let it die, she would have more of a chance of loosing. But this and every other celeb show I have seen in the last 2 weeks, if she doesn't win, it will be a huge surprise.
On a happier and more important note, I'm going to fix myself a nice mug of coco.
Sequins & Politics
Submitted by esperanza4 on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 1:24pm.
Can they take a poll on whether America thinks The Washington Post is relevant, unbiased, fair, balanced, and/or going to be in existence in 5 years? Or how about a poll on whether or not we think ABC and Oprah Winfrey offered free publicity for the Obama campaign in 2007 and 2008? Honestly, a poll was wasted on this? Hand in hand, corporate publicity tool for the ABC Show DWTS - where all publicity is good publicity....kaching.......
Sarah Palin - this is true overexposure. DWTS on the brain mixed in with Sarah Palin hysteria. ABC is loving the ratings bonanza. But, I'm tired of it already. We need a break from the Palin family, and bad tv/movie stars in sequins.
DWTS should thank Sarah and Bristol Palin for playing along with this nonsense and giving the advertisers what they wanted: tons of viewers and a return on their advertising dollars spent.
I don't care who wins, don't care who loses. Jennifer Grey, a kid from a show I never heard of, and Bristol...uh, okay, which one is the star anyway?
If Bristol can spin this fame into a worthwhile career after in some form, good for her. I don't want to see her become the new Miley Cyrus - from nice kid to Brittany Spears blow out. To Bristol and Willow, keep it cleaned up, stay out of the headlines for bad things, go to college (Mom & Dad can afford any school now for you), and have a good life!
Sequins, spray on tans, guys who are thinner than the partner, bad hosts, and odd musical guests and dance numbers to fill air time and sell more advertising, and a lead in to another bad show for ABC. Who cares! It's entertainment in 2010....which doesn't say much for our tastes.
Just ask yourself
Submitted by Model850 on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 2:05pm.
Swap Chelsea Clinton for Bristol Palin, with the same abilities and talent, and ask yourself what the media would be saying.
'Nuff said.
Revenge of the conservatives
Submitted by nkviking75 on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 6:23pm.
I think it is very possible that all the liberal whining over Bristol Palin has provoked conservatives to vote for her in droves. If she wins tonight, I will not be surprised.
“Always love your country — but never trust your government!" -- Bob Novak (1931-2009)
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Give me a break
Submitted by ernestine12 on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 2:16am.
Some of you all kill me. Sarah and Bristol trash the lame stream media all the time yet do everything they can do to remain in the media, from reality shows to selling exclusive stories about wedding proposals(bristol levi) and broken engagements to mags. Oh the media would not be any easier on chelsea if she forced her self in the media like bristol some people trash Chelsea and she has done almost everything to remain out of the media spotlight. Oh yeah and I could see someone making a poll asking if chelsea talents got her a six figure job IF she had barely graduate high school no college and a teen mom with no other experience. However Chelsea was skipped a grade before her dad even became president, graduated college with two masters and has had many college internships jobs and Yes unique experinces helping her dad host dignitaries and also helping her mom with her senate and presidental campaign.
Seems you already got a break
Submitted by sentry_99 on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 2:24am.
and it affected your brain. Palin doesn't trash the MSM for being in the media dumbass. It's for the content. Not sure if you are paying much attention to all the negative stories thrown her way regardless of what she does.
Edit: Excellent first post in 18 weeks. Very thoughtful and informative. I"m pretty sure we have a good idea of what you stand for and which side of the spectrum you fall on.
hmmm
Submitted by ernestine12 on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 3:01am.
Oh sarh trashes the media for content alright, anything negative about her. I see where you fall too. It's hard to find sympathy for someone who goes and trashes american idol and parents for not telling kids they arent good at it in her new book while cheering her own kid with questionable dancing talent on a reality show. Bristol should give up seeking fame go to college get a degree in public relations or communications if she wants to continue on the speaking circut. She could be good at that since she has done a few speaking gigs on teen abstenince. She could probably make a decent living. As for Sarah you can't complain about the negative stuff said about you if you try to dominate every media outlet there is. Twitter, tv, etc. As far as my first post in 18 months didn't know there was a minium posting requirement.
So Sarah Palin is---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 3:05am.
trying to dominate every media outlet there is.
Now that's an interesting perspective.
MD
The 2nd was no better....sigh
Submitted by sentry_99 on Thu, 11/25/2010 - 12:07am.
A parent is cheering for her daughter....GASP!!! Dear god what is wrong with that woman. As for Bristol, there is no required education for the speaking circuit. If she did go to college, I'm sure you and your ilk would lambast her for abandoning her child....again. Sarah has every right to complain about the negative stuff when that is all there is on "news" shows that claim to be objective. There is no post requirement but 18 months and nothing to say until a Palin comes up is odd. Sock puppet odd.Ahh---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 2:45am.
The 12th incarnation of Lily Tomlin.
These days, judging by what is coming out of the educational system, a duckbilled platypus could garner one masters degree just by showing up to class every day.
Of course, Mr. P would have to be a Liberal Arts major.
MD
Bristol
Submitted by dieselpop1 on Tue, 11/30/2010 - 4:44pm.
The network made the rules. The voters followed the rules. The sour grapes are inappropriate and indicative of the shallow thinking of America's liberals. Sheesh! I'm gonna buy stock in Koolaid!