Does everyone know that Paul Ryan stuffed the Politifact ballot box

Paul Ryan stuffed the ballot box

by digby

It's adorable that Politifact's "lie of the year" is being touted as some kind of overwhelming proof that the Republicans didn't vote to end Medicare when they all voted to replace it with an inadequate voucher program. Does everyone know that the Republicans stuffed the ballot box in their online poll?

Dave Weigel flagged this back on December 7th:

Paul Ryan emails his PAC, complete with a video that really emphasizes how windy it is outside on certain D.C. winter nights.

Dear Friend -
I need your vote.
Politifact, a non-partisan, fact-checking website, is now taking votes for the 2011 “Lie of the Year,” and one of the nominees is the Democrats’ “Pants on Fire” lie about Republicans voting to “end Medicare.”
Click here to vote now and ensure the Democrats’ lies about the Path to Prosperity are exposed.
Remember, our budget is the only plan that actually saves Medicare. We know the stakes are high in 2012 – it’s a chance to take our country back and get us back on a path to prosperity. We can’t let lies by Democrats about our conservative solutions go unchecked.
Help me fight the lies, falsehoods, and attacks of the Left by casting a vote to show the Democrat’s lie that Republicans voted to “end Medicare” is the worst political lie of 2011.Click here to cast your vote now at Politifact.


It was, incidentally, the only Democratic "lie" on the list of finalists.

I certainly hope the rigid literalists who work for Politifact don't ever have to make any decisions about anything important. They obviously don't do nuance. And they don't know how the internet works either.

Unfortunately, the Villagers will be gleefully using this as proof that their dreamy young idol Paul Ryan is a good guy after all but it's probably a good idea to demand another source for anyone who cites Politifact on the veracity of any claim going forward. This will make it easier on the Republicans in the beginning, since they actually make a profit at their lying, but in the long run it will be for good. Clearly Politifact can't tell the difference between a lie and and a fact and is subject to the most obvious right wing manipulation.

Update: Paul Waldman called this a couple of weeks ago.

Update II: I should have been clearer. I'm not saying that Ryan's ballot box stuffing made the decision, Politifact did. They merely did the poll as an addition to their own decision.


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