Hannity Website Makes Effort To Win TVNewser Poll

I find this to be a bit bizarre. Remember way back when, Alan Colmes announced he was leaving Fox's Hannity And Colmes for a pasture less fertilized by Hannity, presumably? There was a brief period of speculation as to what might happen. TVNewser, on November 20th, put up a poll, querying readers as to who they thought should take Colmes' place, if anybody. Peter Feld strongly endorsed a woman named Kirsten Powers. I thought Feld made a good case and climbed aboard that bandwagon myself. Of course, it felt like a moot point days later when Brian Stetler reported that Hannity was going to make a solo go of the show. But there was, critically, no word from Fox.

Today, TVNewser made note of the fact that Hannity's website had been linking to their poll, and since the time they started directing users to it, Kirsten Powers' lead in the poll had shrunk to a mere forty votes. In second place, "Hannity Solo." Minutes after TVNewser made note, however, the link to the poll was scrubbed from Hannity's website.

The question is, what on earth is going on here? Why would Hannity care about another website's user poll? Is it really important that the future decision regarding Colmes' replacement be reflected in the recorded opinions of TVNewser readers? And isn't Mediabistro still using the same grade-school level polling widget that they've used on FishbowlDC's "Hottest People In Media" Contest? Because if they are, someone should get a message to Hannity's online people that those polls are crazy hackable.

Comments

[iPolitics]

Hannity/O'Reilly, 2 hours of screaming at nonsense and sending out lies!

[RogerRantjet]

Henry Rollins. His song "Liar" should be hannity's theme song. If you've never heard it...check it out.

Second choice - Andrew Dice Clay. I don't know his political leanings but his career could use a reboot. He could easily out-crazy the hannity insanity no matter what the topic.

[indypete]

Too bad Frank Zappa is "no longer available".... there's a guy that was like the New York toilet paper that had to be taken off the market 'cause it wouldn't take sh*t offa no-one!

[Tabasco]

OOOOO! Good one! Frank would have made swiss cheese out of Sean.... and it would have been funny as hell too.

[Dahveed]

Go with Pat Robertson, Shaunny boy!!

[Oonagh]

Carl Rove..... they do not want a different opinion anyway.. just more of the same..

[stella801]

If there ever is a replacement, it will be another shill (sp?) schill (sp?)....you get my point. Hannity, if I am correct, didn't even graduate from high school. I will stand corrected if that is not true. He surely did not go to college. He does not have the intelligence or curiosity to engage with a true adversary. He only spews and rants about the liberals with no specifics. I guess you can see I can't stand the man very much. He is a fear mongerer and only appeals to the rep base. If they only knew that he is a multi-millionaire after his recent signing with Fixed News. What a hipocrit he is!

[mjeffn]

Joe the Plumber.

[dashboard]

Ozzie Osborn. You would be at least forced to listen.

[Brian187]

Doesn't Hannity already have his own show on that network? Maybe they could just cycle him over and over for 24-7 and lose all potential viewers.

[Phreejazz]

My biggest complaint about hannity and colmes has never been hannity... I mean, wingnuts are wingnuts, and hannity is a wingnut. My complaint was always colmes. It would be hard to pick a *less* inspiring and thoughtful representative of the opposition. Of course, that may have been the point. I'd love to see some Rahm-style pit bull replace mr. wet sop.

[stella801]

Exactly! That was the whole point. The only equation Hannity would tolerate on that show is having a bigger loser than him as his co-host. What a mush Colmes was. He sold his soul to go on that show.

[MargaretO]

I agree. Colmes always seemed like a wet noodle.

[DontJustFollow]

James Carvill??? Al Franken??? what about that guy in Louisiana with all the money in his freezer?

No how about that lady from Georgia that laid the beat down on the DC security guy in the House because he didn't know who she was?

THAT would be entertaining!

[frost12]

YOU !

[lovsn12b]

THESE POLLS - just like those on Lou Dobbs are often phrased so that no person in their right mind would claim that they are fair or unbiased. First of all what about those who cannot vote because they do not have a cell phone -or-they live in an area where cell phones do not work (Yes, Virginia there ARE such wonderful areas)

[Vyvjala]

hannity & Robin Williams would be a rip......................

[haveitoldyoulately]

How about Joe The Plumber. You know, the man McCain called his "Hero", and the man who said McCain, "he scared me and made me feel dirty"

[ElBruce]

Doesn't seem like a big deal. If Stephen Colbert can direct people to nominate his name for a bridge in Hungary, Hannity should be able to direct his fans to a useless web poll somewhere else regarding what should be done with his own show.

[11907281]

Colbert promotes these thing on his show and doesn't take them down in shame after someone points them out. It looks like he took it down so it didn't look like his fans were the ones voting for solo insHannity. But I know Hannity fans aren't much for critical analysis.

[djgonebad]

HE'S SUCH A CREEP!!!!

[stella801]

I second that! Today on his radio show he was practically or*gas/m*ic about the whole Axelrod "mis statement? You could almost hear him frothing at the mouth. LOL!!! Creep is a very subtle term to describe him.