Daily Kos To Sue Former Pollster (Research 2000)

Source: Hotline

Daily Kos To Sue Former Pollster
June 29, 2010 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) |

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By Steven Shepard

Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas announced today he will file a lawsuit against MD-based pollster Research 2000, alleging that polls Research 2000 was conducting for the liberal blog were fabricated.

Moulitsas today published a report by three readers he describes as "statistics wizards" that he says shows "quite convincingly" that Research 2000 was manufacturing the results of weekly national polls.

"Based on the report of the statisticians, it's clear that we did not get what we paid for," Moulitsas wrote on his website today.

"We were defrauded by Research 2000, and while we don't know if some or all of the data was fabricated or manipulated beyond recognition, we know we can't trust it. Meanwhile, Research 2000 has refused to offer any explanation."

Read more: http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/06/daily_kos_to_su.php

This should be interesting to watch.

Many more than people care to acknowledge.

If all pollsters just crunched the numbers, did mathematically-based sampling and drafted survey questions for truth and clarity - there would be no problem. There would alos be no Industry, with firms competing for fat clients in certain niches. MSM covers the horserace of politics, so the polls give them a lot of their newsfeeds. Sheeple voters let their opinions be formed by polls.

Sick all around. But effective in today's world.

requires M$M hypnotic lies, propaganda, fraudulent poles, election tampering and a host of carrot issues that will get the sheeple flocking to the voting booths.

If the consequences of such a system wasn't so tragic, it would be downright laughable.

Source: The Huffington Post

Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas took to his website Tuesday morning to announce his recent decision to file a lawsuit against former pollster, Research 2000.

According to Moulitsas, a recent report carried out by "three statistics wizards" shows that a certain amount of the data compiled by the Maryland-based polling company for the Daily Kos's weekly "State of the Nation" poll was, in fact, "bunk."

"We were defrauded by Research 2000, and while we don't know if some or all of the data was fabricated or manipulated beyond recognition, we know we can't trust it," Moulitsas wrote in his post.

"Meanwhile, Research 2000 has refused to offer any explanation. Early in this process, I asked for and they offered to provide us with their raw data for independent analysis -- which could potentially exculpate them. That was two weeks ago, and despite repeated promises to provide us that data, Research 2000 ultimately refused to do so. At one point, they claimed they couldn't deliver them because their computers were down and they had to work out of a Kinkos office," he continued.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/29/daily-kos-founder-suing-p_n_629516.html

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As you probably know, "Research 2000" is the Spanish term for "Rasmussen."

How ironic

that's for sure.

OMG, that is hilarious.

Oh, well, using a blog to build a politician up wasn't that great of an idea anyway.

BLECH!

"Dino's" (Democrats in Name Only) and that Kos felt he was Hornswaggled and had enough of it...

I can understand that he would be angry about "false/postive" results for Dem Candidates prospects over Repugs...but KOS himself did a bad judgement call in HIRING these Pollsters.

But, then, there is some "Fringe Group" who has always "claimed" that KOS is CIA...and therefore the Left shouldn't trust him. IOWD's ...Kos Site was created as a "Safety Valve for CIA" which there are inklings that Kos was involved with and therefore...his WEB SITE.

I don't know the "TRUTH" of any of this...but it's sad to see that SAVVY KOS didn't realize UNTIL NOW that his POLLSTER was FUDGING THE NUMBERS..

It's kind of disgusting...if one thinks about it ...that he carries on about all of this NOW!

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/06/pollster-ratings-v40-results.html
http://eforum.reviewjournal.com/lv/showthread.php?t=42525#10

Daily Kos is suspicious of Research 2000 polling since 2009. That is same starting time frame that Nate Silver of Fivethirtyeight.com finds questionable about Rasmussen's polls.

Nate Silver's Pollster Ratings (June 2008) had both Rasmussen at #3 and Research 2000 at #8 well regarded among the top 32 pollsters studied.

Silver's June 2010 Pollster Ratings for both of these pollsters dropped substantially, Rasmussen dropped all the way down to #15 and Research 2000 landed near the bottom at #38 of 42.

Since 2009, it would appear that both Rasmussen and Research 2000 have been "producing" (manipulating) results to favor their client's built-in bias. "Tell them what they want to hear."

At least Daily Kos shows some integrity questioning it's pollster's "results" bias, while the GOP has not shown any inclination to question Rasmussen's own more and more obvious bias. To the contrary, the GOP and conservative groups have instead rewarded Rasmussen's new 'activist' bias with exclusivity contracts and right-wing celebrity status for their new unlikely cult hero, Scott Rasmussen.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

...what they'd expect a left of center blog audience wanted to see.

Their numbers for Obama's approval were almost always 5-10 points higher than the rest. At best they were an outlier using a polling methodology that somehow favored left and further left of center candidates, at worst they just made up whatever they thought Kos and its readers wanted to see.

I don't think anyone took the Kos/R2000 polls very seriously for a long, long time.