Kerry Spot    [ jim geraghty reporting ]
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Periodically, Kerry Spot readers e-mail in and ask whatever happened with NPR's infamous swing voter who had donated to John Kerry.

NPR Ombudsman Jeffrey A. Dvorkin gives a good update here.

An interesting point:

Within minutes of the story airing, the e-mail onslaught began from readers of a number of blogs especially from opensecrets.org.

All claimed that there was a John Ridley listed in the Federal Elections Commission Web site. That is where the list of donors to the candidates and their donations are posted.

It listed one John Ridley claiming that he donated $500 to Sen. Kerry and $500 to Gen. Wesley Clark. This turned out to be the same John Ridley, as he belatedly admitted to Renée Montagne on Morning Edition on Friday of this week.

As a result, the blogs say that Ridley is not a true "swing-voter," just another Democrat-in-disguise, claiming neutrality.

Swing Voter or Political Essayist?

"Not so," says Susan Feeney, Morning Edition senior editor. "John Ridley is a smart and funny political observer who really hasn’t made up his mind. John has also given money to the Republican National Committee and carries around an RNC card to prove it.

"We should have known about his political contributions and we should have been tougher when we set out to do this story. We'll ask him those questions on the air when he comes on the program this week." Feeney adds that they quizzed Ridley intensively prior to the first interview. He was open about his previous voting record (he has voted for both parties) and that he is now a registered independent. The donations, it seems, never came up.

Part of the problem is describing Ridley as a "swing-voter" — a term that means someone who is waiting to be persuaded, according to NPR's political editor, Ken Rudin. Ridley has made up his mind enough to give money to political causes in the past. Perhaps a more accurate term (Morning Edition's gadfly? fence-sitter? wry observer?) might have been coined for the occasion.

Ladies and gentleman, in the long and varied history of lame excuses and spin, this may just be the lamest...

...Holy smokes - I just realized who Susan Feeney is! Way back in 1996, when I was an intern in the Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau, Susan Feeney was one of the DMN's reporters... and she was so nice to me. She was so helpful and kind and terrific to a petrified, inexperienced intern, that I really hesitate to criticize her here. And yet, claiming that this guy may still qualify as a swing voter - when NPR could have interviewed any swing voter out there who didn't give to Kerry's campaign... just doesn't fly.

So remember, folks, in your outraged e-mails: Bad, bad judgment here; nice person overall.

UPDATE: Kerry Spot reader William says I’m being way too easy on NPR’s ombudsman, because I called it a “good update.” He points out the way NPR dealt with the issue on the following show:

MONTAGNE: We have alert and very Internet-savvy listeners who have written to point out that you have given money. Now as it turns out, you've given money to both sides. Tell us what that's about.

RIDLEY: Well, I gave money to John Kerry because — well, George Bush has just out-fund-raised him. And if you're walking down the street and you see two guys in a fight; one guy's got a stick and the other guy's got a gun, you want to help the guy who's got the stick. I've also given money to the RNC, and the RNC, by the way, Renee — the Republican National Committee, just in case some people — I find that the RNC tends to be — I tend to be more in line with some of their philosophies, the majority of their philosophies, not all of them, than with the DNC. So, of course, I helped them out. The last election that I voted in here in California, a recall election, I voted for Bill McClintock, who is far to the right of `little-R' Schwarzenegger, just because his policies, mostly his fiscal policies, some of his immigration policies, I just agree with far more. So I don't understand why people are opposed to the concept of swing voting.

Well, according to OpenSecrets.org, unless this guy John Ridley is also a consultant to the “Dryden Advisory Group” in Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania, or a tax consultant in Harrisburg, Penn., as well as living in Wisconsin and working in California, he’s never given a dime to Republicans. [See below - it is possible Ridley gave less than $200.] Not in this cycle Not in the 2002 cycle.

Not in the 2000 cycle.

Not in the 1998 cycle.

Not in the 1996 cycle.

Or perhaps John Ridley changed his name, or made his donations under another name.

Presuming none of this unlikely scenarios are accurate, we can come to a conclusion.

NPR, you are full of [nuance, not the word I originally wanted to use.]

Your so-called swing-voter is full of [nuance]. Your ombudsman is full of it, too, for not running the same simple Internet search that your listeners can. You are either phenomenally gullible or phenomenally dishonest in what you represent to your listeners.

And I wrote, for all the world to see, what a nice person your senior editor is. Way to make my generous instincts look stupid! Way to make me look stupid!

(picks up two-by-four, begins smashing things in the apartment)

I AM NOT MONTEL WILLIAMS! STOP LYING TO ME LIKE I’M MONTEL WILLIAMS!!!!

YEEEEAAARRRRGH! (Dean scream)

UPDATE: Just chatted with NPR ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin. He says John Ridley claims he has given to the RNC is very small increments, so that it isn't recorded in FEC records. This OpenSecrets.org database includes Federal Election Commission records of receipts from all individuals who contribute at least $200 (smaller contributions are not part of the public record).

I credit Dvorkin for being polite and straightforward on the phone, and I'm glad his column addressed this. But NPR as a whole has just completely dropped the ball here.

[Posted 09/29 12:54 PM]