The Narrative, the Bandwagon, and the Wave

Posted on by

Yesterday Alec MacGillis wrote about how news media love the narrative of a close election, and how for weeks reporting has been tilted to keep the narrative alive. And Michael Tomasky wrote about the way the Romney campaign is whipping up the impression that Mittens has the Big Mo and Obama is fading. The latter is, of course, an attempt to build a “bandwagon” effect that will cause wavering voters to fall in line behind Romney. See also Jonathan Chait:

Obama’s lead is narrow — narrow enough that the polling might well be wrong and Romney could win. But he is leading, his lead is not declining, and the widespread perception that Romney is pulling ahead is Romney’s campaign suckering the press corps with a confidence game.

As I mentioned yesterday, people analyzing all the polls together say that Mitt’s post-Denver surge sputtered to a halt early last week, and since then the President’s numbers have slightly improved. And it’s not unreasonable to think Monday’s debate probably helped the President a bit.

Further, Kos argues that many polls are making assumptions about “likely” voters that favor Romney, but there are reasons (which Kos provides) to believe the assumptions are wrong and the President will do better than the polling suggests. We’ll see. I’m personally trying very hard to be realistic and not comfort myself with wishful thinking. It’s way too close now.

But then there are righties. One rightie blogger after another today is writing about the coming Romney tidal wave. “Could this be a wave election?” asked Polipundit. He’s convinced himself that the liberal media is lying to him about the mood of the electorate, and that not only will Romney win in a landslide, the Senate will return to Republican hands as well. Robert Stacy McCain mocks Nate Silver as the director of the Democrat Graveyard Whistling Choir. You run into this on rightie blog after rightie blog; they believe that not only is Romney going to win (possible, but by no means certain) but win big (not possible; if he wins, it will be by a hair).

And of course, if Nate Silver’s projections turn out to be right, they’re going to scream “election fraud!” until they all turn blue and their lungs fall out.

11 thoughts on “The Narrative, the Bandwagon, and the Wave”

  2. Ooops!
    Hit “Submit Comment” too soon.

    I think they’re either trying to sucker the rest of the MSM, or trying to create an environment that further discredits democracy and voting.

    Also too, they’re trying to create the narrative that this election was in the bag, until it was stolen by ______________________ (fill in the new ACORN).

    The above link is to an article about Hans von Spakovsky. He has already said that he and his people are ready to start investigations, and call for recounts, in at least 6 states.
    And I take this reptile very, very seriously.

    Also three, Mitt’s son, Tagg, along with some other Romney bundlers, is part owner of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) company whose machines will be used in Ohio.
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/24/1149313/-Beyond-Tag-Romney-Bundlers-Own-the-voting-Machine

    A close election is one that can be changed bya few choice EVM’s flipping votes.

  3. NaSCHNOOK of the Northwoods, wrote that “Obama’s Shuck and Jive Ends in Benghazi Lies.”

    http://angryblackladychronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Sarah-Palin-Shuck-and-Jive.jpeg

    Way to stay classy, Sarah!
    Why not just call him a ‘Nigger” and spell it out? It’s not as if you or your followers have never used the word – even if it is more than one syllable.

    Senator McCain, never mind your service to the country, being a POW, your years in Congress, your run for the Presidency – your eternal legacy, until the sun burns down to a cinder, is that you brought this petulant and moronic twit out of Alaska, and wanted to put her in a position where she was literally a heartbeat away from the most powerful position in the world.

  4. I’m sorry for spelling it out myself.
    I feel like I stooped down to her level – or, nearly her level.

    My apologies, everyone.

  5. Oh noes! Firewalled off from the angry black lady! La Sarah for realsies used the phrase “shuck and jive”? Whoa nellie. Good thing our president is classy about that race-baiting stuff, or it’d be war between the U.S. and Alaska. We’d need to secure their oil reserves!!

    Then there’s this idiot, who beat out sane Richard Lugar in the GOP primary:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/richard-mourdock-abortion_n_2007482.html

    Sure can’t say anymore that Todd Akin’s brand of ignorance is some sort of outlier.

  6. gulag ..No apology necessary..We understand the word so well that we understand the spirit behind it, and how it is intended to be understood. In Righty racist speak shucking and jiving is a proximate synonym for nigger except it’s not as openly inflamatory. Sarah managed to get her point that Obama is a black man across without resorting to calling him a nigger,so I would think that should count for progress in judging her Christain virtue and social graces.

  9. Paulie is gonna restore “The Promise”..Upward mobility! Isn’t that the same as being a yuppie?

    Well, Paulie..I won’t be able to take advantage of your noble gesture..I’m old and tired and financially battered, hanging on for dear life. Hunkered down in a survival mode you might say, but if you have a plan that would allow me to die with a roof over my head, rather than a steel I-beam of an overpass,I’d be happy to hear your suggestions.

  10. The Donald is back – with a pledge of 5 Million to charity if Obama will release his college records. The response needs to be – sure – if Romney will release his tax returns for the period of time elapsed from Obama’s college days til now.

    This is a fishing expedition – no reason it can’t work two ways. It puts the onus on Mitt to be as transparent as the Donald wants Obama to be. Game on!

Comments are closed.