JustRalph
10-07-2004, 12:51 AM
Bogus Debate E-Mails Attempt To Dupe MediaNBC
*Note These emails were shown on the local station here in Columbus. They were in praise of Sen. Edwards performance.
4COLUMBUSOhio - As Election Day draws near, some are using every avenue possible, including trying to manipulate the media, to gain voters and dissuade others from showing up to vote, NBC 4's Duarte Geraldino reported.
An organized e-mail campaign was created in an attempt to influence NBC 4's post-debate coverage of Tuesday night's vice-presidential debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards.
The debate had not even begun when NBC 4 started receiving e-mails at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday from "viewers" who claimed to not only have watched the debate, but also declared a winner.
The e-mails all listed names and home addresses, but when NBC 4 attempted to find a telephone number for the "viewers" -- Gerry Kline and Milo Jones -- the station had no luck.
Telephone operators were of no help, so a drive to the addresses listed on the e-mails was necessary. The address for "Milo Jones" was on North Main Street, but Main Street in downtown Columbus only goes east and west. There also was no 47 Main Street going east or west, Geraldino reported.
The other e-mail from "Gerry Kline" had a Stringtown Road address from Grove City. Addresses on Stringtown Road end in the 2500s, meaning the address the person who sent the e-mail gave doesn't exist.
Political scientist Dean Lacy has a theory on what the real authors of the e-mails had in mind.
"One person, assuming a lot of different names, can make it look like an entire town was backing one candidate over the other," Lacy said. "Voters don't usually jump on the bandwagon and say, 'I am going to support this candidate because I think he is winning,' but they might. They might think, 'If my candidate can't win, there is no point in turning out.' "
Experts say the best advice for voters is to cast a ballot for the candidate that best represents their interests and to not let pre-election polls or other voters influence your vote.
*Note These emails were shown on the local station here in Columbus. They were in praise of Sen. Edwards performance.
4COLUMBUSOhio - As Election Day draws near, some are using every avenue possible, including trying to manipulate the media, to gain voters and dissuade others from showing up to vote, NBC 4's Duarte Geraldino reported.
An organized e-mail campaign was created in an attempt to influence NBC 4's post-debate coverage of Tuesday night's vice-presidential debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards.
The debate had not even begun when NBC 4 started receiving e-mails at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday from "viewers" who claimed to not only have watched the debate, but also declared a winner.
The e-mails all listed names and home addresses, but when NBC 4 attempted to find a telephone number for the "viewers" -- Gerry Kline and Milo Jones -- the station had no luck.
Telephone operators were of no help, so a drive to the addresses listed on the e-mails was necessary. The address for "Milo Jones" was on North Main Street, but Main Street in downtown Columbus only goes east and west. There also was no 47 Main Street going east or west, Geraldino reported.
The other e-mail from "Gerry Kline" had a Stringtown Road address from Grove City. Addresses on Stringtown Road end in the 2500s, meaning the address the person who sent the e-mail gave doesn't exist.
Political scientist Dean Lacy has a theory on what the real authors of the e-mails had in mind.
"One person, assuming a lot of different names, can make it look like an entire town was backing one candidate over the other," Lacy said. "Voters don't usually jump on the bandwagon and say, 'I am going to support this candidate because I think he is winning,' but they might. They might think, 'If my candidate can't win, there is no point in turning out.' "
Experts say the best advice for voters is to cast a ballot for the candidate that best represents their interests and to not let pre-election polls or other voters influence your vote.