The Christian Science Monitor reports that the fact that right wingers are apparently really truly surprised at Romney’s defeat, despite the fact that it was being predicted by almost every number cruncher, is evidence of a growing partisan divide. I won’t argue with the basic premise, but the piece undercuts itself by repeating yet again the common media trope: both sides do it.
Both sides of the media equation are at fault, Professor Tremayne says, noting that despite the presence of many national polls suggesting Obama was ahead, many media outlets all over the political spectrum continued to call the race extremely close.
“This is understandable because this creates a sense of drama and therefore ratings, which all for-profit media want.”
(via CSMonitor.com/2))
It’s truly hard to even discern which media outlet is on the other side of that equation, but lets get to a far more basic fact. Both sides don’t do it. We lefties may be opinionated, but we’re not deluded, nor do we demand that others act as if our delusions, if we so indulged, are true. We don’t shoot messengers. I never went to Nate Silver’s site in 2010, not because I didn’t believe him, but because I did, and it was far too depressing to face the numbers. I don’t recall a single lefty calling for his head, nor do I recall anyone at MSNBC, assuming any validity to the claim that it is the anti-Fox, insisting that the Democrats were about to triumph. We are reality based. We may be wrong sometimes, but it’s not because we insist on believing our own fantasies.
I’m not complaining, mind you. It is my fervent hope that the Republicans cling to the delusion that Romney lost because he was not “conservative” enough. There is a natural rhythm to presidential elections, such that it might normally be their “turn” to win in 2016. But if they continue to embrace the crazy, it will make it all the easier for us to elect President Warren.
Speaking of people believing their own delusions, check this out.
One Comment