The Dworkin Report: Did CNN Really Think We'd Fall For This?

[Dennis Donovan]

The Dworkin Report - Did CNN Really Think We’d Fall For This?

Give me a break

Scott Dworkin
Dec 12, 2024

Yesterday, rightwing news outlets celebrated a new poll that was released with the headline: “Most Americans approve how Trump is handling his return to the White House.”

Wanna guess who ran this poll and ridiculous story? Nope, it wasn’t Fox.

It was CNN, who even went so far to say their numbers prove Trump has “earned a honeymoon period with the public.” As if we needed another reason not to watch their network anymore.

It took some digging, but I was able to get a copy of the 33-page polling memo, and the fine print is just ridiculous. Having worked with pollsters for decades—I can tell you this whole thing needs to be ripped to shreds.

Out of the mere 1,011 people polled, 72% said they were only somewhat, not too closely, or not at all following news about Trump’s transition. So if these folks aren’t paying attention, why is CNN pretending this represents all of America? It was the basis for their entire article, after all.

What they should have said is that only a slim majority of the small sample they polled—most of whom aren’t aren’t actively tuned in—“approve” of how Trump was “handling” his return to the White House.

/snip

[Silent Type]

1. Unfortunately, the election showed us the majority of people just don't give a damn.

[Cosmocat]

42. Correct

Nm

[magicarpet]

2. Thank you for sharing this.

[Trueblue1968]

16. Cnn sucks !!!!!!!

[Magoo48]

29. What's CNN?

[RainCaster]

33. Crappiest News Network

[Magoo48]

40. Ahhh.

[Kid Berwyn]

3. Garbage In... Garbage Out... Garbage In... Garbage Out... Garbage In... Garbage Out...

If America had an honest news media, there would be no pee-resident Trump then, soon or ever.



An honest CNN might even bring on an expert to address the many layers of meaning presented when Russia's foreign minister stood behind the grinning traitor in the Oval Office.

[Kid Berwyn]

13. LOLOL. The photo is real.

It was taken by a photographer working for the official Russian news agency, TASS. As no US news media were invited to the Oval Office to record the joyous moment where one of Russia's top spy-diplomats, the image recorded a chilling moment in the career of an unstable and moronic traitor. It likely never would have made it to DU weren't for pee-resident Donald J Trump, who personally posted it to his social media.

Over the years, Snopes or some such rightwing turd org, has spread the word that it was not a legitimate photo. They even ran a version that had pee-resident shitbrain standing behind Lavrov, who's sitting behind the Resolute Desk. The manipulaed image and resulting disinformation really pisses me off, as the photo and the recorded treasons are real.

[markodochartaigh]

23. Sorry,

my flippant joke was probably in poor taste.

[Kid Berwyn]

25. Please, do not worry, my Friend! No apologies necessary.

We share a hope where Trump, Lavrov, Snopes and their traitorous MAGA horde get kicked to the curb of history. I hope it's not just an illusion, presented by the rich and powerful to soothe the painful reality that our eyes and ears report and our hearts and brains record.

[bluesbassman]

4. Well here's the thing - yeah, of course they thought we'd fall for it. Shit like that got Trump elected didn't it?

We are now fully immersed in the age of gaslighting. Gaslighting from the MAGA cult and the GOP, gaslighting from the Media, hell even gaslighting form some on our own damn side. It takes twice as much energy as it used to just to filter out the noise and get any kind of decent, reliable information. And that is probably what will sink us all.

[Keepthesoulalive]

5. CNN the new national enquirer.

Hopefully people will stop watching and realize they are the propaganda arm of the republican party.

[Duncan Grant]

6. Ministry of Propaganda?

Ok, maybe not a ministry, but the propaganda part? Mmm, yeah. Propaganda.

[Ray Bruns]

9. Correction: Ministry of Truth

[Quiet Em]

8. I suppose for this handful of people who don't pay any attention

the comparison of this transition from one in 2020 makes them think things must be going well.

[get the red out]

10. They should scramble 'em while they got 'em

Or fry, boil, poach...

[peggysue2]

11. And this is the type of 'reporting/polling' we can look forward to for the next 4 years

Btw, I've turned off cable news. I'm not even subscribed to CNN which I first thought I'd miss.

Turns out I don't.

[Dem4life1970]

12. They are in actuality fake news after all

Meidas Touch, BTC, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, etc. this is where real news can be found....

[Sympthsical]

14. People who don't pay attention vote

See, this is the problem with people who live and breathe politics 24/7.

That 72% he's decrying? Yeah, they vote. There's no "You must have paid attention" toll before someone is allowed to fill out a ballot. So what they think actually does matter. A great deal.

Dworkin's "Only people glued to political news count" attitude is half the problem right there. It's a dismissal of large swaths of people right off the bat. "Pay no mind to what those people think."

Yeah. And how did that go for us? Everyone having a good autumn so far?

[hay rick]

15. CNN getting a fresh set of kneepads.

My immediate reaction to the poll was from my well-practiced nose detecting bullshit.

[kimbutgar]

17. Another reason to not watch CNN

It is Fox lite.

[Joinfortmill]

18. CNN has sucked for a very long time.

[LiberalArkie]

24. Ever since Ted Turner sold it

[BadgerMom]

19. They don't care if we fall for it or not.

They now want the Fox viewers. They’re left fighting for those brainless twits because they recognize that we’re lost to them. Good. Keep tuning them out.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

20. Their leadership sure has a taste for orange ass

[dchill]

21. Sanewashing, pollwashing, brainwashing, trollwashing...

All in a day's work for the well-remunerated drones at CNN. UP NEXT - Tariffs: A necessary evil? Just asking the questions the average, over-polled segment of America we represent aren't quite asking.

[Cha]

22. Fuck Fascist Noise.

TY & Scott Dworkin.

[0rganism]

26. Yes, and those who didn't fall for it aren't the target audience

As the article noted, over 2/3 of Americans fall within the target audience. (I.e., people who don't care)

I'm getting pretty tired of pundits who criticize pro-Trump poll results on the basis of their existence. The poll size is good enough for the typical 3% MOE, and the propaganda machine has been running full throttle for months now. The CNN poll is not making a particularly exceptional claim IMHO.

[PortTack]

27. It's beyond me why anyone watches ANY cable news....#1 it isn't news!

Le news…

[oldmanlynn]

28. So in reality which news network pushes progressive narratives?

If you say none of them then you see the enormous problem we have with propaganda skewing information with a certain bias. If we cant counter that, how will we get our message out?

The answer isnt. We dont get our message out
The answer isnt. We using substack or blue sky

The answer cant be. We wait for republicans to fail and then the voters will pick us.


We have to counter the misinformation and get our messaging out to all Americans

[DingleBerryNW]

30. Butterball

The only reason to cozy up to the Orange one, is fear. It saddens me that the MSM is already caving to the fascists.

[OMGWTF]

31. Whaddabunchabullshit!! "Paying attention" is NOT the same thing as 'approving'.

I am paying attention because I am scared to death about what this mofo will do to us this time. We know he DGAF about us.

[Mblaze]

32. No matter how many people are fine with Trump's "transition",

We're all gonna get bit badly by this snake and we all "knew damned well he was a snake before we let him in".

[Aussie105]

34. We are going to get 4 years of this:

Here is a poll that says You Never Had It So Good!

Polls or your eyes? Which do you go with?

4 years may be enough for a backlash . . . of the 'OH SHIT! I didn't vote for this!' level.
Hopefully on the level of . . . OH SHIT! I just cut up some chilies. Why did I rub my eyes and scratch my privates?

Fast forward 4 years: Dems will need the next 20 years to undo the sewage overflow of those Trump 4 years.

[reACTIONary]

35. 1000 sample size is NOT a small sample....

.... Size for a randomized sample. Its about standard for a large population, like a nation wide poll and gives the typical 3 or 4 percent error range.

[reACTIONary]

36. For those who are interested, here is...

.... the CNN article about the poll.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/11/politics/cnn-poll-trump-transition/index.html

[reACTIONary]

37. Misrepresentation??? You decide....

Here is the SSRS / CNN poll report:

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25452471/cnn-poll-on-trump-transition.pdf

Question 2 is How closely, if at all have you been following news about Donald Trump's presidential transition:

Very Closely 28%
Somewhat closely: 45%
Not too closely: 20%
Not at all closely: 7%

The poll grouped this as (Very + Somewhat) = 73% vs (Not too + Not at all) = 27%.

Dworkin grouped this as (Very) = 28% vs (Somewhat + Not too + Not at all) = 72%.

I would say Dworkin's grouping is misrepresenting the poll's results. 73% of the respondents reported being in the top two categories, while 27% were not really following the transition. That's a complete flip from the way Dworkin characterized.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

38. Stopped watching them a long time ago except for Bill Maher.

Too many right-wingers Repubs arguing with Dems.

[Montauk6]

39. "Tonight on CNN, a lot of people are saying..."

[ThePartyThatListens]

41. I stopped watching CNN over a decade ago

It was crystal clear to me that they are what many of you seem to be just finding out they are.

I can't stand that network.

[LymphocyteLover]

43. The never-ending normalization of this fascist freak by most of the MSM is enraging

[gopiscrap]

44. figures

[Evolve Dammit]

45. very poor. Not journalism.

[Oneironaut]

46. All the MSM now is going to be North Korea-esque Pro-Trump propaganda.

That is, starry-eyed TV personalities with a vacant stare proclaiming Trump to be superhuman in his abilities to affect the blessed, God-ordained MAGA agenda on this nation.

“God, sir! How ever did you transcend humanity? You’re a perfect specimen in every way! Oh my god sir! You’re even better than Jesus!”