Red-faced New York Post chooses the wrong running-mate HAHA

NEW YORK (AFP) - The tabloid New York Post was wiping egg from its face after identifying the wrong man in a front-page "exclusive" on Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's choice of running mate.

"Kerry's Choice" ran the banner headline in the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper, over a file photo of Kerry shaking hands with Congressman Richard Gephardt of Missouri.

The accompanying story analysed the "stunning" choice of Gephardt, stressing how the 63-year-old had managed to beat out the strong challenge of the youthful Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

Unfortunately for the Post, Kerry announced Tuesday morning that he had actually chosen Edwards for his vice presidential candidate.

The newspaper's online edition further confused the issue by continuing to run the erroneous print version of the story next to a "breaking news" link declaring that Edwards would be the running mate.

The mistake meant that the Post, which has never shied away from highlighting the errors of its rivals, was forced to swallow some of its own medicine.

The CNN network gleefully showed off the Post front page, pointing out that Murdoch's News Corp., also owned CNN rival Fox News.

On its inside pages, the Post compounded its mistake with an analysis of what it believed to be Kerry's choice, saying Gephardt would be an asset to Kerry in key battleground states in the Midwest.

It also underlined Edwards' lack of experience as one of the main reasons why he had been passed over.

The New York Post trumpeted Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry's choice of running mate as a front-page exclusive on Tuesday. Trouble is, it named the wrong man.


Before Tuesday's long-awaited announcement, the morning tabloid reported in an unbylined story that Kerry's pick was Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri. But around 9 a.m. (1300 GMT), hours after the late edition hit the streets, Kerry named Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.


"KERRY'S CHOICE Dem picks Gephardt as VP candidate," blared the banner headline in the Post, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and is openly supportive of Republican President George W. Bush.


The paper's editor-in-chief, Col Allan, said he ran the story because the newspaper received information it believed to be correct.


"We unreservedly apologise to our readers for the mistake," Allan said in a statement.


The Post's fierce cross-town tabloid rival, the Daily News, could not resist poking fun.


Media sources said the News sent a case of champagne to Post editors and a note, "Congratulations on your front page. Have a nice day," with a smiley face. The barb refers to a Post advertisement near the Daily News building showing improved circulation figures, with the words "have a nice day" and a smiley face.


The error recalls the infamous 1948 front-page headline in The Chicago Tribune that blared "Dewey Defeats Truman" -- when in fact Democrat Harry Truman won re-election to the White House against Republican Thomas Dewey in an upset.


Prof. David Rubin, a media expert at Syracuse University in upstate New York, said: "The mistake makes the New York Post look foolish and all it shows is that one should not trust the New York Post, a conservative Republican paper, on inside matters of the Democratic Party."