New Report Shows Right-Wing Pundits Mostly Wrong

[marmar]

New Report Shows Right-Wing Pundits Mostly Wrong


The pundit class in American media has long been deservedly regarded with disdain. They are, as a group, an arrogant collection know-nothings who, via intense self-delusion, think they know it all. I addressed this sorry situation four years ago when I labeled them The PEP Squad: Perpetually Erroneous Pundits. The gist of that essay was to point out that once you become a member of the fraternity it doesn’t matter how much you get wrong, you will still be invited back to deliver more of your bad advice.

Now there is evidence from an academic study of contemporary punditry that shows that the accuracy of most pundits is no better than 50/50. So if you can flip a coin you’re as smart as the average pundit.

The most interesting conclusion of the report is the confirmation that liberals are accurate more often than conservatives. That may be the result of the inherent slant of factual information that was first identified by fake pundit Stephen Colbert who noted that “reality has a well-known liberal bias.”

The top performer in the study is Paul Krugman of the New York Times. The worst performer is uber-pundit George Will. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/584060/new_report_shows_right-wing_pundits_mostly_wrong/

[sakabatou]

1. Thank you, Mr. Obvious.

[fascisthunter]

2. No Way!!!!!? Well at least we can cite a study I guess

I think we already knew this... even the right wing assholes know it's all lies.

[csziggy]

3. Right wing pundits aren't really wrong - they are following the script

They were given.

[wryter2000]

4. LOL George Will

The world's most pompous pseudo-intellectual, at least since Buckley died.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. You always know the GOP is in deep shit when George Will starts talking about baseball

or otherwise prattles on about nothing in particular.

[yellowcanine]

27. Buckley was pompous, but at least he had a shred of intellectual honesty.

Will is both pompous and intellectually dishonest.

That being said, my favorite Will story is when his soon to be ex-wife threw his shit out of the second story window unto the lawn. Hard to be pompous while collecting your tighty whiteys from the front lawn.....

[ErikJ]

5. Duh, RWingers dont even believe in SCIENCE! What more proof do ya need? .

Their empirical proof comes from the Bible.

[Tigress DEM]

6. BUT Academics are usually DEMS - That's a liberal bias!! ; ))

Afterall if you have a brain and aren't afraid to actually USE it, ya' gotta be a liberal pinko communist right??!!


:sarcasm:

:sarcasm:



Tig

[emulatorloo]

7. That will be their response. Good post n/t

[Quantess]

8. Nobody better try to say that, because

George Will is a self-proclaimed intellectual. It's his erudite style that makes him appear smart. He outdoes Neil Cavuto, even.

[tularetom]

9. I'm a bit skeptical of that study

since about half of the "pundits" ranked in it were elected (or in some case appointed) government officials. There were senators, congressmen, retired senators and congressmen, and several current and formner executive branch employees.

I agree with the relative ranking of Krugman and Will but, WTF, chuck Schumer (as an example) while he may be a frequent guest on the sunday talk circuit, is no pundit.

[Quantess]

17. Do you agree with George Will dead last? Or not?

[tularetom]

18. Actually I believe Cal Thomas was dead last in that study

But if it's Will, either way it's OK with me. My problem with the study is where was Rachel Maddow? Olbermann?

For that matter where was O'Reilly?

These are the people I consider "pundits" not active elected politicians like Joe Loserman or Lindsey Graham.

[yellowcanine]

26. I do now. Previously I would have gone with the now dead "No Facts" Novack.

[WCGreen]

29. I don't think the study would include elected officials but the people

from the think tanks and media....

[SpiralHawk]

10. Intentionally wrong - they make shit up

The Republicons no longer respect the truth, and that is why no honorable person respects them...

[WinkyDink]

11. NS, S.

[tech9413]

13. No Shit Sherlock for sure

I quit listening/viewing these idiots back in 03. Anyone with a brain and a memory could tell they were full of it.
I've listened to Hartmann since 03 and I have to turn him off when he has some RW gasbag on. They can't make an effective logical argument and facts don't change their opinion.

[WinkyDink]

30. That's the infuriating aspect: "facts don't change their opinion." It's like they think facts are

THE SAME as opinions!

[LetTimmySmoke]

12. In other news, new report shows most Americans like sex.

[applegrove]

14. Good for Krugman. I'm not surprised he was at the top.

[pacalo]

15. I can't believe Fixed News (Pundit City) wasn't included.

[LynneSin]

19. In other shocking news - a study show that rain is wet

:eyes:

[JBoy]

20. Bill Kristol should have lost this in a walk.

[EFerrari]

22. "Bill Kristol, avoiding the appearance of relevance again" -- Maher.

[myrna minx]

23. I call him "wrong way" Kristol. How can one man be so wrong so often.

If I saw him carrying an umbrella, I'd know it would be a sunny day. :D

[EFerrari]

24. Wrong Way Kristol sounds like Forgetful Jones' side kick.

lol

[lfairban]

21. You know neocons . . .

. . . Rush says it, I believe it, that settles it.

Total lack of critical thinking.

[yellowcanine]

25. "The worst performer is uber-pundit George Will." Well. Ain't that a shame?

:rofl:

For those who can't abide actually reading Will....
George Will is fond of using "Well." as a stand alone sentence, for example:


"Construct straw man. State straw man. Well. Knock down straw man."

[StarburstClock]

28. So true, the propaganda paradigm never changes

The media props up some pathological liar as the "other side" to a falsely framed "debate" and tries to sell it.

[Blue Owl]

31. Hannity or Coin Toss?

Coin Toss.