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Reporter's Notebook: Alex Satanovsky

Calling on the media

Posted by Alex Satanovsky - August 15, 2004 at 8:16 pm
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story .jsp?story=551867

I've been listening to live developments on this, suddenly this strikes me out of the blue.  Very suspicious.

"The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, looked to be losing his grip on power last night as exit polls showed him to be trailing the opposition by almost a million votes.

The figures were early indications that, for the first time in the country's history, the President may have his term in office cut short by a referendum.

The mid-morning results showed that the opposition, already boasting an enormous 1,758,000 votes to Chavez's 798,000, is well on its way to reaching the target of 3.76 million votes it needs to oust the authoritarian, left-wing President. Turn-out for the referendum was high, with millions of Venezuelans queuing from the early hours at polling stations all over the oil-rich country to decide the political fate of the firebrand Mr Chavez."

How did they get these "mid morning" exit polls?  I smell bullshit.  I listened to a lady over the radio watching the recall, saying that pro-Chavez neighborhoods still have about half of the people waiting in line to vote, none stop support and an estimated 60+% to 34% NO victory.

Opinions on the article I posted?

About Alex Satanovsky

Biography

I am a law student at the University of California-Davis.  I finished my undergraduate studies in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Michigan.  I've been fascinated with Latin American movements ever since the fascist coup in Venezuela (2002), and along with my long standing view of the repugnant commercial media, I've shaped my studies accordingly over the years.

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Comments

Thanks Alex... Our response in any minute

Submitted August 15, 2004 - 8:51 pm by Al Giordano
Hannah Burdock ruined her journalistic career tonight. Take that to the bank. I can't say, under Venezuelan law, the exit poll info I am privvy to, but, suffice to say, this rookie journalist went out so far on a limb that here in the newsroom we don't even need a sharp saw to send her plummeting to the ground.

Ron Smith is on the story right now.

Will be posted in moments, and then the fireworks begin. Adios Hannah Burdock, simulator and liar posing as "journalist."

'Chavez losing' article

Submitted August 15, 2004 - 9:03 pm by Benjamin Melançon
For the record, the author of the article in the London Independent is Hannah Baldock.

While quoting these alleged exit polls, without mentioning that exit polls are illegal (and so presumably suspect-- J-School team, are there exit pollers in the poor areas?), Baldock also quotes people in Venezuela that give the opposite impression: Chavez supporters "anticipating victory" and opponents anticipating defeat:

"Our commandante has already won," said Eric Caldera, a student queuing to vote against Mr Chavez's recall. "The rich people and TV stations are the only ones who say the opposition is going to win. They want to regain the power and privilege they had before, and loot the country. You can count the rich people on your hand, the poor you can't. They are too many. And they are with Chavez."

A clamorous cluster of opposition voters in Parroquia El Recreo voting station, central Caracas, rejected the pro-Chavez voters' arguments against them. "If Chavez wins we will paint the walls with 'No Future'. As no one will have a future, not us nor our children. We don't want a Cuba here," added Elsie Billar, 54, an accountant.

no

Submitted August 15, 2004 - 10:01 pm by Alex Satanovsky
Nope, the exit polls are fraduelent

I love authentic journalism:

the website has been VERY slow all day

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno =1248

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