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'{{short description|Political news and polling data aggregator}} {{Infobox website |name = RealClearPolitics |logo = RCPlogoNew.png |logo_alt = RCP logo |url = {{url|https://realclearpolitics.com}} |type = [[News aggregator]], political commentary |language = [[English language|English]] |registration = Optional| |key_people = [[Tom Bevan (publisher)|Tom Bevan]] (Publisher)<br />[[Carl M. Cannon]] (Executive Editor) |owner = RealClearInvestors and Crest Media |author = [[John McIntyre (publisher)|John McIntyre]], [[Tom Bevan (publisher)|Tom Bevan]] |launch_date = {{start date|2000|2|3}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whois.domaintools.com/realclearpolitics.com|title=RealClearPolitics.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info – DomainTools|work=[[WHOIS]]|access-date=2016-10-21}}</ref> |current_status = Online |commercial = Yes }} '''RealClearPolitics''' ('''RCP''') is an American [[Political journalism|political news]] website and [[Polling aggregator|polling data aggregator]] formed in 2000 by former [[option (finance)|options]] [[trader (finance)|trader]] [[John McIntyre (publisher)|John McIntyre]] and former [[advertising agency]] [[account executive]] [[Tom Bevan (publisher)|Tom Bevan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/|title=Polling Averages| publisher=RealClearPolitics|date= April 21, 2008| access-date=2008-04-21}}</ref><ref name="D'Agostino">{{cite journal | title=Conservative Spotlight: Real Clear Politics | date=31 March 2003 | author=D'Agostino, Joseph A. | journal=[[Human Events]] | volume=59 | issue=11 | page=16}}</ref><ref name="Zorn 2004">{{cite journal|author=Zorn, Eric|author-link=Eric Zorn|date=October 26, 2004|title=Political site polls well with election junkies|url=http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2006/04/good_riddance_t.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119080924/http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2006/04/good_riddance_t.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2013|journal=[[Chicago Tribune]]|page=Metro, 1}}<!-- Not dead, but link goes to an not-secure webpage warning --></ref><ref name="Wolinsky 2006">{{cite journal|author=Wolinsky, Howard|date=September 18, 2006|title=Politicking pays off: Web site a must-read for political fanatics|journal=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|page=55}}</ref> The site features selected political news stories and op-eds from various news publications in addition to commentary from its own contributors.<ref name=princeton /><ref name="D'Agostino" /> The site is prominent during election seasons for its aggregation of polling data.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jones|first=Tim|date=2008-10-19|title=Candidates come courting the Hoosiers|language=en-US|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/19/nation/na-indiana19|access-date=2017-01-22|issn=0458-3035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-02-10|title=Obama's surge swamps Hillary|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/archive/news/obamas-surge-swamps-hillary/news-story/0e738c0058389832c1184603610ab84a|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Obama cuts into Clinton's majority – US Election – smh.com.au|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/us-election/obama-cuts-into-clintons-pennsylvania-majority/2008/04/09/1207420422477.html|access-date=2017-01-22|website=www.smh.com.au|language=en}}</ref> Since the end of 2017, RealClearPolitics has had a rightward, pro-Trump turn in its content according to ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Peters|first=Jeremy W.|date=2020-11-17|title=A Popular Political Site Made a Sharp Right Turn. What Steered It?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/us/politics/real-clear-politics.html|access-date=2020-12-20|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> According to a 2020 [[Knight Foundation]] study, RealClearPolitics is generally read by a [[moderate]] audience, leaning slightly toward the right.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=November 9, 2020|title=American Views 2020: Trust, Media and Democracy|url=https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/American-Views-2020-Trust-Media-and-Democracy.pdf|access-date=|website=Knight Foundation|page=57}}</ref> == Establishment== The website was founded in 2000 by McIntyre, a former [[trader (finance)|trader]] at the [[Chicago Board Options Exchange]], and Bevan, a former [[advertising agency]] [[account executive]].<ref name="Zorn 2004" /> McIntyre explained "it really wasn't any more complicated than there should be a place online that pulled together all this quality information".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/business/small-business-entrepreneurs/2007/12/12/politics-junkies-spawn-a-real-clear-success.html|title=Political Junkies Spawn a Real, Clear Success|publisher=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|date=December 12, 2007|first=Liz|last=Wolgemuth|access-date=2008-04-07}}</ref> They call what they do "intelligent aggregation."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/technology_internetcritic/2008/02/real-clear-poli.html|title=Real Clear Politics Real Clear on its Growth, Mission|publisher=The Chicago Tribune|date=February 7, 2008|access-date=2008-04-07}}</ref> The site has grown in election-season spurts since it first went online. It has expanded from a two-man operation to a full-time staff of more than two dozen employees overseeing the company's mainstay, RealClearPolitics, as well as ten smaller sites. Both co-founders graduated from [[Princeton University|Princeton]] in 1991. When they launched the site, they would both start their day at 4 a.m., looking through articles from more than 50 sources. They post pieces on current events and topics, as well as news about opinion polls. The site reports on political races and projections, and features the average result of all current presidential polls and also offers a best-guess projection of [[United States Electoral College|Electoral Colleg]]<nowiki/>e votes.<ref name="Zorn 2004" /> ==Political orientation== ===2000 to 2017=== In a 2001 article for ''[[Princeton Alumni Weekly]]'' noted that "The articles selected invariably demonstrate McIntyre and Bevan's political bent, about which they are unabashedly forthcoming." McIntyre said, "I'm not really a die-hard Republican because my interests are less on social issues, more on taxing and spending. ... But I definitely don't want the government telling me what to do with my property... Nevertheless, any political junkie—even a liberal—would enjoy our site because the topics we choose are current."<ref name="princeton">Rob MacKay, [https://www.princeton.edu/paw/web_exclusives/more/more_20.html "Political junkies create Web site for opinion and analysis"], June 6, 2001 ''Princeton Alumni Weekly''. Princeton</ref> In a 2003 interview with the conservative magazine ''[[Human Events]]'', McIntyre described the philosophy behind the website as based on "freedom" and "common-sense values"; Bevan said that the website's owners shared the common conservative belief that the mainstream media was biased "against conservatives, religious conservatives, [and] Christian conservatives".<ref name="D'Agostino" /> In a 2004 article for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', Patrick Stack described the website's commentary section as "right-leaning".<ref name="rcp100">{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/election2004/article/0,18471,724310,00.html|title=Cheat Sheet: Election Websites|access-date= 2009-07-15|work=Time|last=Stack |first=Patrick|date=October 14, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041016000559/http://www.time.com/time/election2004/article/0,18471,724310,00.html|archive-date=October 16, 2004 |url-status=dead|quote=RealClearPolitics.com scores points for its in-depth, right-leaning commentary section}}</ref> In a 2008 interview with the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', McIntyre said, "We're trying to pull together the best political stories, op-eds, news analyses, editorials out there. The proliferation of content is enormous. Part of what we're trying to do is distill it in a clear, simple way for people who don't have hours to spend searching the Net".<ref name="Chicago Tribune">{{cite news |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/technology_internetcritic/2008/02/real-clear-poli.html|title=Real Clear Politics real clear on its growth, mission |work=Chicago Tribune |last=Johnson |first=Steve|date=February 7, 2008}}</ref> In 2009, RealClearPolitics was described as a weblog "in the conservative pantheon" by Richard Davis.<ref name=davis-2009>Richard Davis, ''Typing Politics: The Role of Blogs in American Politics'' p. 54 (2009) [[Oxford University Press]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=PWZ2-5wla3MC Google].</ref><ref>Richard Davis, ''Politics Online: Blogs, Chatrooms, and Discussion Groups in American Democracy'' p. 43 (2013) Routledge [https://books.google.com/books?id=DjfKKDrTETgC Google].</ref> During the [[2008 United States election|2008 elections]], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' repeatedly referred to RealClearPolitics as "nonpartisan".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Holmes |first1=Elizabeth |title=Polls Show Race Tightening in Florida |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122479684232764281 |website=Wall Street Journal |access-date=3 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chozick |first1=Amy |title=Candidates Focus on Western States |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122496954123469575 |website=Wall Street Journal |access-date=3 May 2020}}</ref> The ''New York Times'' referred to its polling practice as a "nonpartisan tally."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Knowlton |first1=Brian |title=In projections, Obama holds electoral lead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/world/americas/16iht-campaign.4.17029402.html?_r=1 |website=The New York Times |access-date=3 May 2020}}</ref> The 2012–2013 edition of academic text ''Cengage Advantage Books: American Government and Politics Today, Brief Edition'' describes the site as being run by conservatives, and containing "opinion pieces from multiple media sources".<ref>Steffen Schmidt, Mack Shelley, Barbara Bardes, ''Cengage Advantage Books: American Government and Politics Today'' p. 140 [https://books.google.com/books?id=IXwJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA140#v=onepage&q&f=false Google.] Cengage Learning, 2012</ref> ===Rightward turn during Trump's presidency === Since 2017, when a large number of its straight news journalists were laid off, RealClearPolitics has had a rightward, aggressively pro-Trump turn with donations to its affiliated nonprofit increasing, with much of that from entities used by wealthy conservatives. Several journalists who talked to ''The New York Times'' in 2020 said they never felt any pressure from the site's founders to bias their stories.<ref name=":0" /> An October 2019 article in ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' reported that RealClear Media manages a [[Facebook]] page of "far-right memes and Islamophobic smears." Anand Ramanujan, [[Chief technology officer|Chief Technology Officer]] for RealClear Media, responded that the company created the website that was affiliated with the Facebook page "as part of an effort to understand the flow of traffic from social media—particularly Facebook—to political websites."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Poulse |first1=Kevin |last2=Maxwell |first2=Tani |date=October 8, 2019 |title=RealClear Media Has a Secret Facebook Page to Push Far-Right Memes |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/realclear-media-has-a-secret-facebook-page-filled-with-far-right-memes |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> In November 2020, ''The New York Times'' said that "Real Clear became one of the most prominent platforms for elevating unverified and reckless stories about the president's political opponents, through a mix of its own content and articles from across conservative media" and that for days after the election "Real Clear Politics gave top billing to stories that reinforced the false narrative that the president could still somehow eke out a win."<ref name=":0" /> Some allies of Donald Trump falsely claimed that RealClearPolitics had rescinded its call of Pennsylvania for Biden; however, the website had not yet called a winner in the state.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fauzia |first1=Miriam |title=Fact check: Political news website never called Pennsylvania for Joe Biden |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/10/fact-check-real-clear-politics-never-called-pennsylvania-biden/3760782001/ |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=USA TODAY |date=November 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Alba |first1=Davey |title=False claims that Biden 'lost' Pennsylvania surge, and tech companies struggle to keep up. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/technology/biden-lost-pennsylvania-claim.html |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=10 November 2020}}</ref> Real Clear Politics heavily promotes content by ''[[The Federalist (website)|The Federalist]]'', a conservative website which draws funding from the same pool of donor money as Real Clear Politics.<ref name=":0" /> In 2016, RealClearInvestigations was launched,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/about/index.html |title=A New Destination for Investigative Journalism |website=RealClearInvestigations |access-date=2019-11-12}}</ref> backed by foundations associated with conservative causes, such as the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation and [[Sarah Scaife Foundation]].<ref name=Stanley-Becker>Isaac Stanley-Becker & Craig Timberg, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/07/trumps-allies-turned-online-campaign-quest-unmask-ukraine-whistleblower/ Trump's allies turned to online campaign in quest to unmask Ukraine whistleblower], ''Washington Post'' (November 7, 2019).</ref> In 2019, the site published an article by a conservative author, Paul Sperry, containing the supposed name of a U.S. intelligence officer who [[whistleblower|blew the whistle]] on the [[Trump–Ukraine scandal]].<ref name=Stanley-Becker/> The article's publication came as part of a month-long effort by Trump allies on media and social media to "unmask" the whistleblower, whose identity was kept confidential by the U.S. government, in accordance with whistleblower protection (anti-retaliation) laws.<ref name=Stanley-Becker/> Most publications declined to reveal the whistleblower's identity; RealClearInvestigations' editor defended the site's decision to publish the article.<ref name=Stanley-Becker/> == Ownership == [[Forbes]] Media LLC bought a 51% equity interest in the site in 2007.<ref name="forbes">{{cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20071107006128/en/Forbes-Media-Acquires-Fifty-One-Percent-Stake-in-RealClearPolitics.com|title=Forbes Media Acquires Fifty-One Percent Stake in RealClearPolitics.com|via=Business Wire|work=Forbes|date=November 7, 2007}}</ref> On May 19, 2015, RealClearInvestors and Crest Media announced that they had bought out Forbes's stake for an undisclosed amount.<ref name="PR Newsire">{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crest-media-and-real-clear-investors-buy-remaining-stake-in-realclearpolitics-300085649.html|title=Crest Media And Real Clear Investors Buy Remaining Stake In RealClearPolitics|publisher=Crest Media|via=PRNewswire.com|date=May 19, 2015}}</ref> RealClearPolitics also owns RealClearMarkets, RealClearWorld, and RealClearSports.<ref name="The New York Sun">{{cite news|url=https://www.nysun.com/business/on-web-political-junkies-make-a-real-clear-choice/72596/|title=On Web, Political Junkies Make a Real Clear Choice|work=[[The New York Sun]]|date= March 10, 2008|access-date=2008-08-08|first=Colin|last=Gustafson}}</ref> RealClearMarkets and RealClearSports were launched in November 2007. RealClearWorld, the international news and politics site, was launched in August 2008. RealClearScience and RealClearReligion launched in October 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2010/10/18/new-realclear-sites-launching-today/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018134510/http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2010/10/18/new-realclear-sites-launching-today/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2010|title=New RealClear Sites Launching&nbsp;Today – Real Clear Politics – TIME.com}}</ref> RealClearHistory launched in 2012; in 2013 RealClearDefense was launched to cover military, intelligence, and veterans' issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://realcleardefense.com/|title=RealClearDefense – Opinion, News, Analysis, Video and Polls|website=realcleardefense.com}}</ref> == Original content == In addition to linking to external content, RealClearPolitics also provides original commentary and reporting, with a staff that includes [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] Bureau Chief [[Carl M. Cannon]] (who also serves as Executive Editor of RealClear Media Group),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.leadingauthorities.com/uk/speakers/carl-cannon |title=Carl Cannon Washington Bureau Chief of RealClearPolitics and Executive Editor of RealClear Media Group |publisher=Leading Authorities International |date= |accessdate=March 9, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.c-span.org/person/?carlcannon|title=Carl M. Cannon |publisher=[[C-SPAN]] |date= |accessdate=March 9, 2021 }}</ref> Caitlin Huey-Burns,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/author/caitlin-huey-burns?r=DE&IR=T |title=Caitlin Huey-Burns |publisher=[[Business Insider]] |date= |accessdate=March 15, 2021 }}</ref> [[White House]] Correspondent Alexis Simendinger, James Arkin,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.c-span.org/person/?jamesarkin |title=James Arkin |publisher=[[C-SPAN]] |date= |accessdate=March 15, 2021 }}</ref> and Senior Analyst [[Sean Trende]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aei.org/profile/sean-trende/ |title=Sean Trende |publisher=[[American Enterprise Institute]] |date= |accessdate=March 18, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://dyn.realclearpolitics.com/authors/sean_trende/ |title=Sean Trende |publisher=RealClearPolitics |date= |accessdate=March 30, 2021 }}</ref> Former staff includes Scott Conroy and [[Erin McPike]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/mcpike.erin.html# |title=Erin McPike |publisher=[[CNN]] |date= |accessdate=March 30, 2021 }}</ref> == Political poll averaging == RealClearPolitics aggregates polls for presidential and congressional races into averages, known as the RealClearPolitics average, which are widely cited by media outlets. In 2008, [[Nate Silver]] of [[FiveThirtyEight]] said that RealClearPolitics was rigging its averages to favor Senator [[John McCain]] and other Republicans, although he later receded from this claim, indicating that his site and RCP had a friendly rivalry.<ref name="silver">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/us/politics/28pollsite.html?_r=1|title=Political Polling Sites Are in a Race of Their Own|work=New York Times|access-date=2009-11-07|first=Bernie|last=Becker|date=2008-10-28}}</ref> McIntyre denied having a conservative bent, saying that the site was a business and had "no interest in screwing around with that for partisan purposes".<ref name="silver"/> In 2016, Republicans performed 1.7% better than the final RealClearPolitics average,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/2016_generic_congressional_vote-5279.html|title=RealClearPolitics – Election Other – 2016 Generic Congressional Vote|website=www.realclearpolitics.com}}</ref> and Republicans performed 3.3% better than the site's average in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/generic_congressional_vote-2170.html|title=RealClearPolitics – Election Other – 2014 Generic Congressional Vote|website=www.realclearpolitics.com}}</ref> In the 2016 presidential election, the final RealClearPolitics average margin overestimated Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]]'s popular vote performance by 1.3%. The final electoral college prediction map produced by RealClearPolitics predicted the average outcome to be that she would narrowly win the election with 272 electoral votes. However, she lost the election to Republican [[Donald Trump]] in spite of winning the popular vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton_vs_johnson_vs_stein-5952.html|title=RealClearPolitics – Election 2016 – General Election: Trump vs. Clinton vs. Johnson vs. Stein|website=www.realclearpolitics.com}}</ref> In 2018, the site underestimated the Democratic vote in the 2018 congressional elections by just over one percentage point.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/2018_generic_congressional_vote-6185.html|title=RealClearPolitics – Election Other – 2018 Generic Congressional Vote|website=www.realclearpolitics.com}}</ref> == References == {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == {{commonscat}} * {{Official website}} [[Category:2000 establishments in Illinois]] [[Category:American political websites]] [[Category:Internet properties established in 2000]] [[Category:News aggregators]]'