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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Facts are problematic

It must be heck for the news people when facts run counternarrative.
In the House, 14 GOP incumbents have decided not to seek re-election, while 10 Democratic incumbents have made the same announcement. Does this mean Republicans are "dropping like flies"?

In the Senate, six Republican incumbents have decided not to seek re-election, while two Democratic incumbents have made the same announcement. Is this evidence of a mass Democratic exodus?


Of course, when you take your narrative direct from the GOP dominating "insiders," is thhere really any question why that narrative might be wrong?

Update: As an extreme, Politico is running the banner "Democratic majorities safe, for now." (You gotta like the misleading "for now" as no credible analyst anywhere thinks the majorities will disappear in 2010. I think they ought to just byline RNC.)

6 Comments:

  • It's all about splashy news really isn't it? Keep the hysteria going.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:02 PM  

  • Yeah. But narratives have impact. They shape the media presentation.

    Look how Republicans at low ebb affected the 2008 election. Arguably, two Senate seats switched in close races.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:11 PM  

  • Time for the Dem-dominated news areas to make noise about it as well. I hope they're reading your blog!

    'Course nothing stops the rest of us from twittering about it too...

    By Blogger r8r, at 3:17 PM  

  • The problem is that short of TPM nobody in the press takes the left media seriously.

    Firedoglake, Kos, HuffPo. they're seen as so viewpointed that they aren't taken seriously.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 4:05 PM  

  • I guess that leaves.... what -- the Daily Show?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:25 PM  

  • Actually, Yes. The Daily Show is taken pretty seriously by the cable hosts and editors, the media criticism, at least.

    Says a lot, really.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:03 PM  

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