Remember CNN’s attack-debate last week? CNN did what it could to end Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president.
Well, just after that, CNN conducted a poll to measure its success. According to its own report on its own poll, CNN failed miserably.
Among “Democrats/Democratic-leaning independents who are registered to vote” the leading candidate is Bernie Sanders, up 7 percentage points since the previous CNN poll, with Biden and Warren each down 2.
Also, when asked which candidate they would be “enthusiastic” about, the highest percentage went to Bernie.
Drat! Curses! CNN shrieks and tries the slice and dice. However . . .
Among men the winner is Bernie.
Among women the winner is Bernie.
Among whites the winner is Bernie.
Among non-whites the winner is Bernie.
Among registered voters the winner is Bernie.
Among those paid less than $50k the winner is Bernie.
Among those paid more than $50k the winner is Bernie.
Among non-college graduates the winner is Bernie.
Among college graduates the winner is Bernie.
Among non-white college graduates the winner is Bernie.
Among 18-49 year olds the winner is Bernie.
Among independents the winner is Bernie.
Among liberals the winner is Bernie.
Among those with their minds made up the winner is Bernie.
Among those without their minds made up the winner is Bernie.
Foiled again!
Yet, CNN has this to cling to:
Among white college graduates the winner is Biden.
Among those 45 years old and up the winner is Biden.
Among Democrats the winner is Biden.
Among moderates the winner is Biden.
That’s a slim thread to cling to, but CNN has another trick up its sleeve. It asks people to choose which is more important: “That the Democratic Party nominate a presidential candidate with a strong chance of beating Donald Trump,” or “That the Democratic Party nominate a presidential candidate who shares your positions on major issues.” The purpose of this question is of course to establish the nonsensical. The candidate whom the most people support *IS* the candidate with the strongest chance of beating Trump.
CNN asked people which candidate “Agrees with you on the issues that matter most to you,” and the winner was Bernie.
CNN asked people which candidate “Best understands the problems facing people like you,” and the winner was Bernie.
CNN also asked which candidate “Has the best chance of uniting the Democratic Party.” Why ask that? The answer is already known. The candidate with the most support has the best chance of uniting the Democratic Party. He or she has already united the most people, and has the most enthusiasm. There’s an assumption built in here that a losing candidate whom fewer people support may be less offensive to other people than the candidate whom the most people support. There is no reason to believe this. Joe Biden is highly offensive to huge numbers of people.
Why, then, does CNN report Biden winning in this category, as well as in the categories of “Has the best chance to beat Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election” and “Has the best chance of uniting the country”? I think it’s because people have been told to believe this nonsense over and over and over again very effectively.
The good news is that what CNN tells people is becoming the opposite of effective. If CNN and its fellow corporate media outlets can convince people to vote against their own interests and to imagine that they came up with that idea themselves, Bernie Sanders is done. But if word leaks out that it’s CNN telling people to vote the way CNN wants, then CNN is done, and Bernie Sanders is headed to the White House.
The most electable candidate is the candidate with the most support. Only if this simple fact can be successfully hidden, can CNN continue its role as overseer of elections.