Zig-Zogby: From Touting Link To Liberal Network To Claiming He'll Be 'Fair & Balanced'

What a difference a day makes!  Just yesterday, as I reported here, pollster John Zogby was boasting of his affiliation with Nova M, the new liberal radio network, heir to the moribund Air America.  The headline of the mass email he sent out proclaimed: "Air America Co-Founders Start New Liberal Talk Network: Mike Malloy, Joe Trippi and John Zogby join Nova M Radio."

As he breathlessly announced the "formation of [the] new progressive talk radio network" by a couple of Air America's original founders, Zogby touted his own connection, letting us know that he will be co-hosting a weekly one hour show, “The Pulse of the Nation.” The idea will be for Zogby to "poll particular hot button issues from politics and pop culture to the War in Iraq and stem cell research. Each program will include expert guests and audience participation. At the end of each show John will reveal the secret results of the poll and each listener will then know whether or not they have their finger on 'The Pulse of the Nation!'"

We were quick to question the implications for Zogby's reputation.  As we wrote:

"What does it say about the objectivity of Zogby's polling that John Zogby will be a regular contributor?"

No doubt many others also raised similar questions.  If a pollster's stock-in-trade is unbiased, reliable results, wasn't Zogby jeopardizing his most precious asset by so closely aligning himself with such a blatantly partisan operation as Nova M radio?

Could it be that Zogby thought things over, overnight, and decided he needed to make a move to shore up his reputation?  It would seem so, since within the last hour, he has issued a second email, stressing his objectivity.  So concerned is Zogby to demonstrate that he hasn't sold out to the forces of the left that he even employs the catch-phrase of Fox News Channel - 'fair & balanced.'

Excerpts from Zogby's latest:

• “Pulse of the Nation” to be a nonpartisan discussion of the worlds of American politics, business, pop culture, and lifestyles.
• [Zogby's] company . .  is an independent polling and market research firm.
• We have maintained our status as an independent company not tied to the Democrats or the Republicans
• And then there's the email's headline: "Zogby Radio: A Fair and Balanced Look At What People Are Really Thinking"

I don't know about you, but I'd call this a . . . zig-Zogby!