Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:19 AM Jun 2016

AP’s Premature Call for Clinton Does Disservice to Democracy

http://fair.org/home/action-alert-aps-premature-call-for-clinton-does-disservice-to-democracy/

Just leaving this here for the moment, what a weird call on the eve of the California primary.

"The Associated Press (6/6/16) has unilaterally declared Hillary Clinton to be “the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president,” based on the news agency’s own polling of unelected superdelegates.

Superdelegates—who have a role in the Democratic nominating process based on their institutional positions rather than being chosen by voters—do not vote until the Democratic National Convention, to be held on July 25. They can declare their intention to vote for one candidate or another, just as voters can tell pollsters who they intend to vote for before Election Day, but like voters they can (and do) change their mind at any time before the actual voting. Media do not generally call elections weeks before the actual voting based on voters’ intentions.

The timing of AP’s announcement–on the eve of primaries in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Montana and South Dakota, and caucuses in North Dakota—raises concerns of voter suppression, intentional or not. The six states choose a total of 806 delegates on June 7, making it the second-biggest day in the Democratic primary calendar (after “Super Tuesday,” March 1, when 865 delegates were at stake)...

...Compounding the damage done by AP’s premature call were other major news outlets that joined the rush to declare the nominating process over. NBC News (6/6/16) came out with “Clinton Hits ‘Magic Number’ of Delegates to Clinch Nomination.” “Hillary Clinton Clinches Democratic Presidential Nomination,” was CNN’s headline (6/6/16); an onscreen graphic reported that “Hillary Clinton Earns Enough Delegates to Win Democratic Nomination,” an odd choice of verb to describe the inclinations of unelected delegates..."


22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
AP’s Premature Call for Clinton Does Disservice to Democracy (Original Post) slipslidingaway Jun 2016 OP
"[The AP] is supposed to report the news, not cook it in a kitchen & serve it up." @Dennis_Kucinich slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #1
As much as I despise Fox News, I agree with that quote. atomingai Jun 2016 #3
I supported Kucinich last time, Olbermann had Edwards on several times ... slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #9
Still rings true today. atomingai Jun 2016 #11
It's definitely a voter suppression strategy. On the day before the primary? atomingai Jun 2016 #2
Yes and even before that I would hear from voters while phonebanking that Sanders had already lost slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #5
It's called propaganda. It's a GWB's strategy. atomingai Jun 2016 #6
The Dems have adopted the strategy very well! nt slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #10
indeed. atomingai Jun 2016 #12
It's a shabby thing to do. I can remember when Mr. Shraby and I were young voters and shraby Jun 2016 #4
Very true, why vote, the establishment politicians and media have selected a candidate... slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #7
That establishment media wanted Hillary, not Bernie, as the nominee could not have been more obvious merrily Jun 2016 #8
There is hope, many millennials get their news from online sources which is more scattered ... slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #13
I guess we can tweet more. But, jaysus, with all the people getting paid for news stories, merrily Jun 2016 #14
LOL, do not have a twitter account ... slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #15
I don't mean tweets that are the equivalent of body noises. I mean tweets to get merrily Jun 2016 #16
I knew what you meant, at least I thought I did :) All for the productive, news/heads up ... slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #17
I am still angry about it. It may have suppressed votes the next day mvd Jun 2016 #18
We'll never really know, stories of irregularities will sink, democracy took flight awhile ago ... slipslidingaway Jun 2016 #19
it most certainly altered the outcome, lakeguy Jun 2016 #20
like the call in 2000 for bush winning FL. and that we know was WRONG. pansypoo53219 Jun 2016 #21
Here's what we've been up against: snot Jun 2016 #22

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
9. I supported Kucinich last time, Olbermann had Edwards on several times ...
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:46 AM
Jun 2016

in one week during the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, but never once had Kucinich on who fiercely opposed the invasion. But Fox invited Kucinich on to speak, MSNBC was supposed to be the liberal media.



That old saying, never judge a book by it's cover







 

atomingai

(71 posts)
2. It's definitely a voter suppression strategy. On the day before the primary?
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:23 AM
Jun 2016

That move right there gave the voters who haven't voted yet "the finger."

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
5. Yes and even before that I would hear from voters while phonebanking that Sanders had already lost
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:33 AM
Jun 2016

the corporate media played over and over again the number needed which included super delegates.

We can complain about the DNC, rightfully so with the first scheduled debate two months after NY voters needed to declare a party, but the corporate media plays Such an important role in selecting candidates. Trump is a prime example, fortunately their role is being diminished with the millennial generation.





shraby

(21,946 posts)
4. It's a shabby thing to do. I can remember when Mr. Shraby and I were young voters and
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:28 AM
Jun 2016

we left the voting booths after voting for the president, got home and they had already declared the winner due to polling. We lived in Michigan at the time, so 2/3 of the country had yet to vote. He was so mad he didn't even want to vote ever again.

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
7. Very true, why vote, the establishment politicians and media have selected a candidate...
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:38 AM
Jun 2016

it is all just a big tease, eventually you wonder why bother?

merrily

(45,251 posts)
8. That establishment media wanted Hillary, not Bernie, as the nominee could not have been more obvious
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:40 AM
Jun 2016

Sure, maybe establishment media would have preferred the Democratic nominee to be David Koch, but that was not a choice before them.

Given Hillary or Bernie (or a relatively unknown quantity), one was clearly better for big business and the wealthy. DUH.

So establishment media did what it could all along, from portraying Bernie as nothing more than a guy who was once Mayor of Burlington to declaring Hillary the likely nominee. The last started in 2012, before Obama was even re-elected.

Can we do anything about crap like this? If so what? I don't mean only for 2016.

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
13. There is hope, many millennials get their news from online sources which is more scattered ...
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 12:56 AM
Jun 2016

but we also know inaccurate and unsubstantiated stories spread more rapidly on social media. So unless one is paying particular attention and has the time to follow through all sorts of inaccuracies spread like wildfire.

Such as chairs being thrown at the Nevada convention, but the corporate media runs with the story and that gets repeated on social media. Would almost make one want to disconnect from all the rapidly flying lies.





merrily

(45,251 posts)
14. I guess we can tweet more. But, jaysus, with all the people getting paid for news stories,
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 01:01 AM
Jun 2016

and networks rolling in $$, its almost insane that it devolves to tweet more. Is there a way to force anyone to be better? Unify to boycott their advertisers?

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
15. LOL, do not have a twitter account ...
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 01:17 AM
Jun 2016

funny you should mention about forcing anyone to be better. On our way into vote yesterday with a double set of doors several of us were holding doors for one another, saying go ahead and I said out loud the obvious, that we were all trying to hold open the doors for one another. A woman turned around and said it is a sign of our generation of course I replied something about it our age These are just common courtesies.

I think tweets are something one might wish to take back, Trump might be a person on the top of that list!

merrily

(45,251 posts)
16. I don't mean tweets that are the equivalent of body noises. I mean tweets to get
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 01:26 AM
Jun 2016

truth out into an ether filled with lies and misleading half truths and, heaven forfend, to encourage productive action.

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
17. I knew what you meant, at least I thought I did :) All for the productive, news/heads up ...
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 01:45 AM
Jun 2016

type of message, but they can also be destructive and misleading.

mvd

(65,148 posts)
18. I am still angry about it. It may have suppressed votes the next day
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 01:54 AM
Jun 2016

It made me wonder how much of a democracy we are now. Also still mad about the CA irregularities.

slipslidingaway

(21,210 posts)
19. We'll never really know, stories of irregularities will sink, democracy took flight awhile ago ...
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 02:42 AM
Jun 2016

only decision to be made for many people sinking is how long do you play their game?

Entering into my fourth decade of listening to the heads of the team and things have only become worse for many people. My team/party has not protected their players, but the owners of the team have done very well.

You need only look at the trend, forget about individual races, they are part of and will be reflected in the trend. I heard a statistic the other day on the news, in the past twenty years the median income has grown 2%. Even if that figure is double or triple, I know damn well expenses have grown at a much higher rate. How long can people tread water, a long time, but not forever, hence we see the backlash against establishment policies, that in essence, are trying to squash the middle class. They love flying the flag, while citizens are in need.

That is just not sustainable.


lakeguy

(1,639 posts)
20. it most certainly altered the outcome,
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 04:00 AM
Jun 2016

and that was the point. none of the power brokers wanted an embarrassing outcome, especially in CA, so close to the end of the primary.

snot

(10,478 posts)
22. Here's what we've been up against:
Thu Jun 9, 2016, 07:28 AM
Jun 2016

The establishment attitude very clearly has been, "Anyone but Bernie!"

They'd rather risk having Trump than Bernie. Trump is a snake, but that just means he's of their tribe: he can be negotiated with.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»Bernie Sanders»AP’s Premature Call for C...