Communists for Kerry

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tim Finin <finin () cs umbc edu>
Date: October 2, 2004 7:58:51 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Communists for Kerry

Attached is a note I sent to FOXNews.  I'm guessing they
assumed that people would see parts of their story on
reactions to the presidential debate as humor.  Is it any wonder,
tho, that a study showed that people who get their news from Fox
News are less well informed than people who get their news
from other outlets, even the Jon Stewart's Daily News comedy
show?

--


Today you published a story written by Jane Roh titled "Some
Voters Still Flip-Flop After Debate Saturday" [1].  The
story quoted a number of people on their reactions to the
first presidential debate.  The story says:

  "Of course, there were some Kerry supporters in attendance
  who had no doubts whatever about their candidate.

  "We're trying to get Comrade Kerry elected and get that
  capitalist enabler George Bush out of office," said
  17-year-old Komoselutes Rob of Communists for Kerry.

  "Even though he, too, is a capitalist, he supports my
  socialist values more than President Bush," Rob said,
  before assuring FOXNews.com that his organization was not
  a parody group.  When asked his thoughts on Washington's
  policy toward Communist holdout North Korea, Rob said:
  "The North Koreans are my comrades to a point, and I'm
  sure they support Comrade Kerry, too."

  It is unclear whether the Kerry campaign has welcomed the
  Communists' endorsement."

I am disappointed that your reporter reports this at face
value.  Putting "Communists for Kerry" into Google turns up
their web site [2] as the first result.  It's obviously a
satirical web site.  Moreover, clicking on the "About Us"
navigation link produces a page which explains:

  "Communists for Kerry" is a campaign of the Hellgate
  Republican Club, a tax exempt non-partisan public advocacy
  "527" organization that exists for the purpose of;

  "Informing voters with satire and irony, how political
  candidates make decisions based on the failed social
  economic principles of socialism that punish the
  individual by preventing them from becoming their dream
  through proven ideas of entrepreneurship and freedom."

  Our members help elect candidates who support economic
  growth through Entrepreneurship, limited government and
  lower taxes. Communists For Kerry is separate and distinct
  from the Communist party of America and any of its
  organization. None of it's members are members of any
  communist organizations.

I'm afraid that this is just horrifically bad journalism.
Were Ms Roh and her editors so gullible that they thought it
was a serious organization?  Or are they in the habit of not
doing minimal fact checking for a surprising part of her
story?  Or are they in on the joke but wants to fool her
readers?  Or do they think that all of your readers will
recognize that it's obviously political theater and not be
fooled?  Or is this intended to spread misinformation? Or
some combination of the above?

In any case, it deserves a clarification and rethinking
your policies.  It is just not good journalism.

Tim Finin
743 Oella Ave
Oella MD 21043

[1] http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134268,00.html
[2] http://communistsforkerry.com/
[3] http://www.hellgate.org/disclaimer/

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