This is a tiny story, but the poor thinking here is kind of amazing, so bear with me.
So the Detroit Free Press wants to get the opinions, for a story in its paper, of a panel of supposedly "independent" voters. But it turns out two members of the radical antiwar group Code Pink--you know, the friendly gang who tried to heckle and interrupt John McCain's acceptance speech last week?--were on the panel. Oh, well, says the paper's editor, it's no big deal:
“I wish that it weren’t the case that there were two people from an activist group and we didn’t know about it,” assistant managing editor Randy Essex said of the CodePink members. Nonetheless, Essex defended the panel’s results. “If there is a radical leftist or two in the group, I don’t care,” Essex told FOXNews.com. “I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints.” The four activists were part of a group of seven self-described “independents.” Nine Republicans and 11 Democrats were also on the panel."
News flash to Mr. Essex: see, when most of us think of "independent" voters, we just don't think of radicals like Code Pink. Independents are supposed to be voters who haven't made up their minds, who are in general nonpartisan. Do you really think members of Code Pink--who, by the way, are all radically against the war in Iraq-- haven't made up their mind about war supporter John McCain???
Of course they have. They're not "independents." Like I said, poor...no, let's change that. BAD thinking.
