In perhaps an awkward moment for CNN, contributor Roland Martin was dismissing the credibility of information that the network later reported during Tuesday night's election coverage. Martin tweeted his ire at misleading Wisconsin exit polls.
"Why are Obama supporters touting exit polls saying Obama preferred over Romney 53-42? Same exits had this race 50-50. IGNORE THOSE POLLS!" Martin ranted on Twitter at 9:21 p.m. Ironically, the next hour CNN reported the Wisconsin exit polls showing President Obama ahead of Romney 53-42.
While CNN's John King had twice mentioned the exit polls during the 10 p.m. hour, GOP strategist Ari Fleischer also disputed their credibility.
"I think we have to throw out those exit polls about Obama-Romney because this exit poll doesn't even seem to be right about Walker-Barrett," he asserted.
A transcript of some of CNN's election coverage, which aired on June 6 on Anderson Cooper 360 during the 10 p.m. EDT hour, is as follows:
JOHN KING: Wisconsin voters were asked today, and even as they kept their Republican governor in office, 53 percent of Wisconsin voters today said they would vote for President Obama in November; 42 percent said they would vote for Governor Romney. So, Paul, that's a margin right there that'ss roughly equal to the McCain-Obama margin, with Obama on top back in 2008.
(...)
GLORIA BORGER: I mean, you were talking earlier about President Obama's numbers. And in these exit polls that you were talking about, he is up 11 points over Mitt Romney in the state of Wisconsin.
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KING: In the exit polls tonight, Ari Fleischer, the voters say they are inclined, at least if the election were today, President Obama would have won among those who turned out, by a decent margin. Do we keep this light blue in your view or do you say, no, move it?
(...)
ARI FLEISCHER, CNN political contributor: One other issue. I think we have to throw out those exit polls about Obama-Romney because this exit poll doesn't even seem to be right about Walker-Barrett. We have to see what the final result is, of course, in the actual tally. But it looks like the exit poll top-line numbers are way off.
KING: The exit poll top-line numbers do appear to be off. We will wait to see the final results. Sometimes, things change. But Ari raises a key point there.
