Ignoring newer polls showing closer race, Fox's Cavuto claimed Lieberman “is 12 points ahead in the polls right now”

Written by Kurt Donaldson

Published

Neil Cavuto claimed that incumbent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman “is 12 points ahead in the polls right now” in the Connecticut Senate race. In fact, three polls taken after the poll that Cavuto apparently cited have shown a closer race.


On the August 29 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto claimed that incumbent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, who lost to challenger Ned Lamont in the Connecticut Democratic primary and is now running as an independent candidate, “is 12 points ahead in the polls right now.” In fact, three polls taken after the poll that Cavuto apparently cited have shown a closer race, with two of the polls showing Lieberman with a 2-point lead and a third poll showing Lieberman ahead by 10 points.

The Quinnipiac poll to which Cavuto apparently referred was conducted from August 10-14 and released on August 17; it showed Lieberman with a 12-point lead over Lamont. But three polls released since the Quinnipiac poll -- but not mentioned by Cavuto -- show a closer race:

  • An American Research Group poll, conducted August 17-21, showed Lieberman with a 2-point lead.

  • A Rasmussen Reports poll, conducted on August 21, also showed Lieberman with a 2-point lead.

  • A Zogby poll, conducted August 15-21, put Lieberman's lead at 10 points. Unlike the other polls, the Zogby poll included “polling of 'individuals who have registered to take part in online polls,' along with telephone calls, according to Zogby.”

Media Matters for America has noted (here and here) that the Associated Press has also misleadingly cited the Quinnipiac poll while downplaying or ignoring more recent polls that show the Connecticut Senate race to be tighter.

From Cavuto's discussion with former Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp, who plans to campaign with Lieberman, on the August 29 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:

KEMP: I talked to his staff today. I'm going up in a few weeks to campaign for Joe Lieberman. I don't think the Democratic Party in this nation should be without a Scoop Jackson or a Hubert Humphrey or a John F. Kennedy Democrat, which Joe Lieberman clearly is. I've worked with him --

CAVUTO: Nevertheless, Jack, you know that if he does get elected -- and he's 12 points ahead in the polls right now; that could change -- but if he does, he might be an independent, but he would vote with the Democrats. So --

KEMP: Yeah --

CAVUTO: -- you would be helping them possibly not only retain, but build on -- on -- on that base.