Media Deception Over Who "Won" Debate

Watch the brief clip above and see how subtle they are, and how easy it would be for a viewer to confuse this with a legitimate poll of a large number of regular Republican voters. While Soledad O'Brian quickly states the poll they show is a poll of "Republican Insiders", the poll is labeled as only "Among Republicans". After that one quick mention, they talk on without giving any hint that the poll is anything other than a large poll of mainstream Americans who vote GOP. The deception is enhanced by the use of percentages in the poll, even though, on investigation, only 54 insiders were polled. The insiders gave Mitt Romney a win with 51"%". Ron Paul got 0% in this poll!

But if that misleading clip is not enough to convince you that the establishment is trying to undermine Paul, what they did not show you ought to be. These talking heads forgot to mention that they took another poll which allowed any viewer who wanted to vote to do so. In that poll Ron Paul took over 80%! I consider it a shocking example of bias that they only report the results from 54 insiders, with misleading labeling and follow-on discussion so that the casual viewer would think that Ron Paul got 0% from "Republicans" rather than a few dozen insiders. They gave no mention of the viewer poll, dominated by Paul. The difference between zero percent and 80% is not trivial. Especially when you consider than one is the opinion of insiders, and the other of the common citizens. You would think it would at least rate a mention.

My personal view is that based on presentation Romney and Bachman did well, and so did Gingrich. Those three helped their cause, though in Gringrich's case that cause may be selling books. Pawlenty, Santorum, and Cain did not do well. Paul was in the middle at least. He had over twice the applause lines of any other candidate. That is my take on presentation- how well they communicated what they believe.

Strategically, Paul did win. Four years ago other candidates and pundits were mocking his positions and snickering- now they are coming close to imitating him. They are taking much of his rhetoric and shading it just a bit more to the side of government interventionsim than he espouses. Several candidates said things like "Congressman Paul had it right". That's the kind of thing that adds up to a Paul win according to me, this guy from the Baltimore Sun, and this one over here.

One of the comments on the CNN board was from a fellow who had 30 people at his house to watch the debate. Before it began, he told his guests that CNN would not allow it to get out that Ron Paul won the thing. They laughed at him. Then after the debate he showed them the CNN viewer poll where Paul was in the high 70's, then they saw this clip where the commentators told them that Paul got 0% while not mentioning the larger poll. They weren't laughing anymore.

Here is another video which shows a variety of other major online polls taken over the subject of "who won" the debate. They could have reported on any of them, except that Paul won them all. Instead they reported on their "poll" of 54 insiders.