Les Jones

Media Behaving Badly > John Ridley - NPR's "Undecided Voter"

National Review's KerrySpot looks at a NPR feature that interviews swing voters, and one swing voter in particular: John Ridley, who is also an NPR contributor.

First, isn't getting your "man on the street" from the payroll list a little on the lazy side? It's like Ted Baxter using Bernie as his "common man." And does NPR really think their staff represents a sample slice of America? Next thing you know they'll refer to Cokie Roberts as a "soccer mom" and Click and Clack as "NASCAR dads."

Anyway, Ridley doesn't seem terribly unbiased. He thinks the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are full of it, but thinks it's too early to tell if the CBS documents are fake. Uh huh. This guy doesn't just work for NPR. He also depends on them for all of his news.

Here's the kicker from OpenSecrets.

JOHN RIDLEY LOS ANGELES, CA SELF EMPLOYED 3/23/2004
Amount donated: $500
Recipient: John Kerry

Los Angeles is a big town, and there could be more than one John Ridley. But if this is the same guy, NPR should be ashamed at trying to pass off a Kerry contributor as an undecided voter. NPR's ombudsman is apparently looking into it.

(UPDATE SEPTEMBER 29: Go here for an update. Ridley did in fact give money to the Kerry campaign, as well as $500 to Wesley Clark's campaign.)