This alert comes from Rapid Response Network -
http://www.rapidresponsenetwork.org
DO NOT COPY AND PASTE FROM THIS ALERT.
World News Tonight's Nov 9, 2004 broadcast included a piece by political correspondent Jake Tapper covering possible voting irregularities in Florida and Ohio.
The piece was generally a not-in-depth look at the main issues:
- Florida counties which have large majorities of registered Democrats but have voted Republican the past several cycles
- Cuyahoga County in Ohio which for a while was reporting on its website more votes than there are voters (this was attributed to a fluke which has since been corrected)
- Exit polls which had shown Kerry winning big among early voters, but then were not indicative of the final tally
more after fold
BUT, the report isn't the issue. The fact Tapper interviewed someone from the American Enterprise Institute
*IS* the issue.
Tapper didn't id the AEI as being a conservative think tank. The man he interviewed gave a response along the lines "If you have an exit poll and a final vote tally -- I'd go with the votes every time."
That, of course, ends up being a pro-Bush (pro-conservative) statement in this case. Which is what you'd expect from a member of a conservative think tank.
* ACTION *
Write polite letters asking that in the future they identify the political bias of think tanks.
jtapper@salon.com, NETAUDR@abc.com
Update [2004-11-10 7:49:15 by thesill]: 11/10/04: Jake Tapper's Email at Salon.com is apparently no longer working. Please update it if you've got the new ABC News email address.