Last week, the Republican gubernatorial candidate for Pennsylvania proudly retweeted poll numbers that gave him a small lead over Josh Shapiro. Turns out the numbers were from a high school kid in Connecticut.
We posted the story right away as it was obvious to anyone with half a clue that the numbers were from a parody account. Obvious to anyone not a MAGA Republican anyway. Here's last week's story:
Mastriano Retweets Fake Poll Numbers For PA Governor Race
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Clout understands why State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, touted on social media the results of a new “poll” that for the first time showed him with a narrow lead over the Democratic nominee, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
What we don’t get: Why did Mastriano and campaign advisor Jenna Ellis leave up those social media posts for five days — as it soon became clear it was a hoax and the “pollster” had pranked him?
Curious call for a cantankerous candidate who dismisses any media reporting that does not exalt him as “fake news.”
The “pollster” — who would only identify himself as “a high school student from southwestern Connecticut who likes politics” — told Clout in a Twitter message exchange that he created the Twitter account Carleton Polling this month to test a theory about a “double standard” for polling and political parties.
His hypothesis: Republicans attack the credibility of established polling firms that release surveys with results they don’t like but take seriously and push polls even if they “don’t seem legitimate.”
Mastriano was his first test.
And as predicted, Mastriano passed with flying colors. As did Jenna Ellis, Kimberley Guilfoyle, Breitbart, and others on the far-right echo chamber.
"Amazing but not surprising" is an apt description for this sort of foolishness.
UPDATE: And now Carleton Polling doesn't exist. It just went *poof*.
