WASHINGTON, January 9, 2008 — Accuracy in Media editor Cliff Kincaid said today that he was not surprised by the poor performance of the polls and the press in predicting the outcome in the Democratic New Hampshire primary. The media in general have been terrible at analyzing political races and predicting outcomes, he said.

“The conservative media were out of touch with Republican voters in Iowa and missed the real reasons for the Mike Huckabee phenomenon,” Kincaid noted. “They have also been mystified, even horrified, by the conservative limited-government appeal that lies at the heart of the Ron Paul revolution. So it is not surprising that the liberal media would miss the story of what was happening on the Democratic Party side. The results demonstrate that the American people have decided to have their say in the process, despite what the media say and write.”

The AIM editor said that the conservative media, including most of talk radio, many bloggers, and Fox News, have clearly lost their influence with the grassroots and are at risk of becoming marginalized or irrelevant as the presidential process goes forward. “From their perspective,” Kincaid said, “the more moderate candidates, McCain and Huckabee, are doing the best, and the most conservative candidate, Romney, who should have won Iowa and New Hampshire, is barely hanging on. If Romney, who was endorsed by the conservative National Review, continues to lose, many in the conservative media may have to throw up their hands in despair.”

In terms of the liberal media, Kincaid said they are divided in their loyalties to Clinton and Obama but will eventually settle for a Clinton-Obama ticket. “Then the liberal media will do what they do best ? attack Republicans,” he said. The question becomes, on the Republican side, whether conservative media will rally around McCain if he is the nominee. “It’s doubtful,” the AIM editor said. “They may go AWOL.”

Accuracy in Media is a citizens’ media watchdog organization whose mission is to promote fairness, balance, and accuracy in news reporting. Founded in 1969, AIM is the oldest non-profit press watchdog group in America. For more information, please visit www.aim.org. 

To arrange an interview with AIM editor Cliff Kincaid, contact Sarah Schaerr Norton at (202) 364-4401 ext. 107 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

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