Back on September 3, the Detroit Free Press ran a feature asking local voters how they felt about Governor Sarah Palin's acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention. However, several of those identified as "independent" voters have turned out to be far from independent but are anti-war activists and members of the radical hate-group, Code Pink. Looks like the Detroit Free Press got snookered big time on this one.
The Free Press published the opinions of Ilene Beninson, 52, and Joellen Gilchrist, 64, as the opinion of "independents" and, naturally, they both hated Palin and her speech. But, as the days rolled onward, it has come to light that neither Beninson nor Gilchrist are as "independent" as they claimed. Even ABC's Jake Tapper got snared by the sham independents. Tapper later apologized for his error.
Please note that two of the "independents" the Free Press interviewed appear to be anti-war activists, thus not particularly predisposed to have an open mind about Gov. Palin. I had quoted one of them, but have removed her comments.
Besides ABC, several other Old Media outlets picked up on these bogus "independents" that the Free Press foisted on the reading public.
As it happens, Gilcrest appears as a contact on a Code Pink groups page and Ilene Beninson shows up as a supporter of Cindy Sheehan on an anti-war website called "Target of Opportunity." (Just for a reminder, the U.S. anti-war effort is directly tied to communist front groups as Byron York wrote in 2003.)
This would argue against either of them being an "independent" voter that might have the sort of undecided view of the candidates that might lend itself to an unbiased assessment of the race. The Detroit Free Press presented these women as if they were somehow "independent" and not partisan.
Yet, even as this news has come to light, Free Press assistant managing editor Randy Essex says that he doesn't care that he was fooled by these women's claims of independence. In an interview with FOXNews.com Essex is somewhat apologetic, yet shrugs off any criticism.
“I wish that it weren’t the case that there were two people from an activist group and we didn’t know about it,” assistant managing editor Randy Essex said of the CodePink members.
“If there is a radical leftist or two in the group, I don’t care,” Essex told FOXNews.com. “I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints.”
So, while Essex claims he will "refine the voter panel," he maintains that the original panel was completely on the up and up.
I guess that the definition of "independent" is in the eye of the beholder as far as the Detroit Free Press is concerned, eh?
(Photo credit: moonbattery.com)
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Comments Policy
Funding
September 9, 2008 - 05:33 ET by allanfWho is funding these neurotic aging hippies? Who is giving them passes into Congress and the RNC?
These Groups...
September 9, 2008 - 11:38 ET by Amanda JusticeThese groups are nothing but covert, subversive communist groups that should be monitored by the Government. I'm beginning to think that their actions are starting to ramp right up there with ALF and ELF. Dangerous and scary. I still can see that woman with red gunk on her hands getting so close to Condi, and it still frightens me.
“I want a robust
September 9, 2008 - 05:59 ET by ThisnThat“I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints. If there is a radical [ ] or two in the group, I don’t care”
So, if the KKK shows up -- decked out in costume, of course --, that's ok too?
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
Well...
September 9, 2008 - 06:00 ET by Warner Todd HustonI'd say the Det. Free Press SHOULD welcome KKK members. After all, they are REALLY independent!
...and other radicals, such
September 9, 2008 - 06:10 ET by ThisnThat...and other radicals, such as Alaskans that support their current Governor -- if we want to carry this to the extreme.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
Do these pinkos...
September 9, 2008 - 06:41 ET by HeavyChevyhave REAL jobs or they just live off the land like other animals?
"9 out of 10 doctors agree that flag burning is the number one killer of liberals."
Professional protestor is a
September 9, 2008 - 10:03 ET by BDProfessional protestor is a job endemic to the American left.
Others with Ivy League educations and real jobs assuage their perceived guilt by paying others to "Live the rightious life" of a leftist protestor.
In this way, they are quite a bit like Jihadi's who travel to Afghanistan to "live the Islamic life."
Here is what Essex really meant...
September 9, 2008 - 07:15 ET by c5thenHe wants as many points of view all the way from the far extreme left to the moderate left. As far as he is concerned, there are no other viewpoints that are valid.
CodePink actively tries to perpitrate these dupes on the news media in order to skew their reports. And for the most part tne news media allow it to happen, except in the odd case where they get caught. It's almost as if they are allies or something.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Funny
September 9, 2008 - 08:18 ET by well99I noticed alot of Dem talking points.
"But the tone of her speech is sarcastic, mean-spirited and divisive.
I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief.”
As a real independant I will vote for Sarah.I wont be doing it because she is Repub/Conser but because it is the first time in a long time we have had a real person up for a high office.I may not agree with every issue with her but the only one that I do is the one I see in the mirror.Most times anyways.Sara has common sense which will be change from your typical Washington politician.Most of them cant put their shoes on without a poll telling them if it is the popular or not.
First cup of coffee.Spelling/grammar optional.
Code Pinkos are mothers, too
September 9, 2008 - 09:24 ET by Mica the MagnificentI wonder if the Code Pink women are neglecting their kids?
How about a discussion about how their kids are affected watching mommy battle with the police?
I mean, how EMBARRASSING it
September 9, 2008 - 10:05 ET by BDI mean, how EMBARRASSING it must be for a child of a Pinko.
They probably make up stories about mom being away in a fanciful locations like Peoria with incredible jobs such as short order cook so their classmates do not know.
South Park has the answer
September 9, 2008 - 16:06 ET by UndercoverConservativeWatch the old "South Park" movie for what protestors children do when their parents are out too busy "thinking of the children!" :)
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is the same as calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
"You spend your money anyway you want and respect other's rights to do the same"
South Park has the answer
September 9, 2008 - 16:13 ET by UndercoverConservativeWatch the old "South Park" movie for what protestors children do when their parents are out too busy "thinking of the children!" :)
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is the same as calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
"You spend your money anyway you want and respect other's rights to do the same"
I think he mispoke
September 9, 2008 - 11:23 ET by well99"“If there is a radical leftist or two in the group, I don’t care,” Essex told FOXNews.com. “I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints.”
What he wants is a stacked deck.Detroit Pravda Press just shows they have no clue to what balance and integrity mean.
The "Detroit Free Press" is
September 9, 2008 - 12:34 ET by SmartypantsThe "Detroit Free Press" is an over-the-top left wing rag, and it has been for a long time. This newspaper (and I use the term loosely) does not hesitate to misrepresent facts on a regular basis, always to the benefit of the liberal side of the particular issue. They've done this kind of thing before. In the 2000 or 2004 election, they assembled what was supposed to be a panel representing citizens across the political spectrum, and I believe there was one true conservative in the mix (out of at least seven or eight people). Letters written to the editor of this fine publication that have a conservative perspective, when they are printed, are often edited so harshly that the original intent is all but lost (I know from personal experience).
They Just Don't Get It
September 9, 2008 - 13:43 ET by geoff.galeAgain, it bears repeating - the newspaper crowd is genuinely in trouble. They print biased, slanted and politicised coverage of virtually everything. They hire, tolerate and promote dogmatic ideologues on their staffs. They pull stunts like this focus group.
And yet they honestly wonder why circulation drops quarter after quarter. They seriously don't understand the drop in advertising revenues. Their staffs stand stock still, grazing like deer in a corn field while the grim hunter of layoffs picks them off one by one from afar. They still don't get it. They never seem to connect their behaviour to the consequences of their behaviour. Is it mass mental illness? Is there something in the coffee that causes them to be deluded?
Other businesses routinely spend whatever amounts of money it takes to learn what their customers want, and then they subsequently provide what it is that their customers want. The newspapers can't seem to figure out the business significance of that particular feedback loop.
I find it intensely ironic that the very people who think of themselves as the information arm of our society, can't manage to understand the information staring them in the face about themselves.
I suppose that in twenty years time, the fall of the newspaper business will be taught as an object lesson to graduate students in business schools across the country.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
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