I watch CNN all day. I'm an unemployed full-time graduate student, so I have that luxury. Unfortunately, during the past few days, I've frequently found myself yelling at the TV.
Why?
CNN constantly refers to "three" candidates remaining: McCain, Romney, and Huckabee. This is a huge, misleading error, as there were four: McCain, Romney, Huckabee, and Paul. Ron Paul has not backed out and does not plan to do so. Ever.
Today's news is that Romney is out. That makes three remaining candidates: McCain, Huckabee, and Paul. It's not known where Romney's 280-some delegates will go, but more than like they'll go to McCain since Romney's and McCain's campaigns were very much alike and certainly nothing like Huckabee's or Paul's.
However, Dana Bash, one of CNN's political reporters who was at the Romney announcement, erroneously stated that there are two candidates remaining. She was attempting to surmise who Romney might endorse, but she couldn't decide who of "two choices" he'd pick.
As further proof of omission, Paul isn't even mentioned in the main CNN article on Romney backing out. McCain is there as the "frontrunner," and Huckabee is there in a mention that he was Romney's chief rival. Paul is still listed on CNN's delegate counter, though, so someone at CNN knows that Paul is still in the race.
CNN, Paul is still in the race, and you have a responsibility as a ethical news outlet to report the news correctly, without omissions and glaring numerical errors.
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Seeded on Thu Jun 3, 2010 3:09 PM EDT (Tribune-Review News)
McCain could beat Clinton, but only Ron Paul can beat Obama. If both Romney's and Huckabee's delegates were to go to Ron Paul, it will still be a long shot but possible.
I've got some commentary on CNN's factual omissions following the Romney announcement.
