Wouldn't it be great if WaPo "analysis" pieces were based on facts?
November 09, 2009 11:16 am ET by Jamison Foser
The Washington Post's Michael Shear over-reads last weeks elections:
If he [President Obama] needed any reminder of how difficult that remains, the week began with a blunt message for his party from voters, who resoundingly rejected two Democratic candidates for governor and sent a shock through members of Congress who are up for reelection next year.
Senior Obama aides sought to minimize the power of that message but were largely out-shouted by a chorus of pundits and even some Democrats on Capitol Hill who warned that the results do not portend good things for Obama and his party next year.
Exit polls showing that people who voted in last week's elections generally did not consider them to be referendums on Obama? Not mentioned.
The Democrats' 2-0 record in last week's Congressional special elections? Not mentioned.
Actually, by at least acknowledging that the Beltway is less about news and more about shouting contests, they're offering better analysis than I've seen of late.
Of course, what's missing is perspective about what hand WaPo has in these shouting matches--or why they're detrimental to a civil and intelligent public discourse. But hey, baby steps.
Speaking of the conservative Democrats, isn't it fascinating that the Democrats seem to run a gamut from progressive to conservative, but Republicans are in a "I can out-conservative you!" death spiral?
"Out-shouted" is the part of that quote that immediately jumped out at me.
Exactly who is lending the bull horn to these shouters, Mr. Shear? Hmmmmm?
As the article mentioned, if you want to talk about Congress, how about democrats going 2-0 in these miniscule elections?
People call into the washington journal from Va and NJ and say it was about local issues and nothing about national - yet the media continues to ignore it.
That is because it fits with their ongoing storyline for the past year - the resurging gop and how democrats are floundering and Obama is a failed president.