Nevada, South Carolina, Illinois, New York, Florida, Arizona… anecdotal stories keep popping up detailing perceived instances of voting irregularities just days before the midterm elections. Credible eyewitness accounts show problems that would seem to justify serious investigation. But not all in the Make-Believe Media agree.
Media Matters is reporting “Baseless right-wing accusations of voter fraud? Must mean an election is near” and “Right Wing media baselessly claim SEUI rigged machines to cast votes for Reid.” Baseless?? With everyday American eyewitness voters telling the tale? To write such a report, Media Matters must presume these citizens are visually impaired, senile, conservative Republican voters who lie.
This is a continuing theme. Media Matters tipped its hand last month, dismissing as “baseless” the claims by “conservatives” of voting problems. Here’s the lede and pull quote back then:
Like clockwork: Conservatives return to baseless voter fraud allegations: In fact, voter fraud occurs infrequently, and many of the past claims by the conservative media that election fraud took place have been false.
Ironically, Media Matters was not always so dismissive of voting fraud claims. Back in November of 2004, it ran stories criticizing both conservative skepticism of voting fraud claims as well as the media failure to thoroughly investigate such claims.
From 2004, Conservatives rail against MSNBC’s Olbermann for reporting election irregularities:
Media conservatives have labeled MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann a ‘voice of paranoia’ and accused him of perpetuating ‘idiotic conspiracy theories’ for his sustained spotlight on the numerous local news reports of voting irregularities during the November 2 presidential election.
Again… Beyond “conspiracy theories,” election irregularities get scant media attention, and again media largely ignored Berkeley study on Florida voting irregularities .
Even in January 2005, Media Matters scolded media for failing to investigate claims of voter irregularities: Media gave short shrift to allegations of election irregularities.
Today, with 100 House seats in play and perhaps many Senate seats up for grabs, Media Matters automatically assumes no merit exists to any of the current anecdotal stories of voting problems. Without waiting to investigate, interview witnesses, or dig into the story, Media Matters instead seeks summarily to bury the issue as some “baseless” vast right wing conservative Grand Old Tea Party media conspiracy crying “wolf.”
So… my question to the People-Now-Claiming-To-Be-Media-Matters: “Who are you, and what have you done with the real Media Matters?”
Oh, yeah. Media Matters Mystery Solved.
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