Myth: a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone.
There are several myths being created and circulated right now. This diary is an attempt to point them out and to debunk them.
- Super Tuesday was a tie: Feb. 5th was a resounding victory for Barack Obama. He won more states, more delegates, and possibly more popular votes (some caucus numbers are certian). More importantly, since Clinton didn't win many more pledged delegates on Feb. 5th it set up the month of February.
After Feb. 5th, Obama not only won 11 contests in a row but he won them in blowout fashion. Averaging a 20+ margin he racked up an insurmountable delegate lead.
- March 4th was a resounding victory for Clinton: "Another such victory and I will be totally undone"- Pyrrhic. It was a victory for Clinton only in the sense that it won the media over for a few days. Reality is much different from the media fiction however.
After losing 11 straight contests, Clinton promised to win both Ohio and Texas by wide margins as to cut into the Obama delegate lead. Two weeks out this looked possible as she was ahead by 20 points in both states.
But she made the Guiliani mistake--she actually campaigned in those states! It may be that Obama's message is sooo powerful that he has super-human like abilities to close 20 point leads in 2 weeks. Or, much more likely, as with Guiliani the more the voters see Clinton the more they know they should vote for the other guy.
Regardless, she failed to win both Ohio and Texas by 20+ point margins. She only won Ohio by 10 and she lost the Texas Caucus by a significant margin. She only won the primary by 4 points, which to the media, means that she destroyed Obama in Texas. And the reason....?
- The Red Phone Ad helped Clinton "Win" Texas: Here is the empirical truth; Obama came back from 20 points behind in two weeks to erase that lead to Clinton +4 and win the Texas caucus in a remarkable fashion. He won more delegates from Texas than Clinton.
The media sees this as proof! that the red ad had an impact in Texas. Why? because he didn't win Texas by 20 points like he had every other primary throughout February?!
It makes no sense. Perhaps the red phone ad had some impact maybe not. My personal "opinion" is that if Obama had another week he would have won both states. Who knows. What is known is that we cannot know if Nafta-gate or the red phone ad played a role. I'm certain that it may actually HURT Clinton with super-delegates but we'll have to wait and see. As it stands now though it is a myth, and a dangerous one if the clinton campaign believes it and continues to play dirty.
- Obama is rattled and out of his comfort zone: Personally, I have never seen Obama rattled. In fact, when dealing with the most ridiculous and illogical smears the Clinton's have thrown at him he responds calmly, cooly, and rationally. By any reasonable analysis March 5th was a great victory for him. Instead of losing much of his delegate lead he maintained it. Instead of losing Tx. by 20 he lost by 4. He actually won more delegates from Tx. So what was there to rattle him?!
In fact, Obama has more reason now than ever to just completely ignore Clinton (despite the occasional debunking of Clinton smears) and now focus all of his fire on McCain. She now has no shot of catching his in delegates and after Indiana and N. Carolina no way she will catch him in popular vote. It's over.
- Obama has to attack Clinton he's too soft. He should attack, attack, attack!!!!: Why exactly?
He closed 20 points in 2 weeks! Guys this is politics...outside of scandal have you heard of such a thing before? I haven't. Who can change the minds of 20% of the population of a state when both candidates are so alike on the issues?! In a primary?!
What he is doing is crazy. Whatever it is that he's doing to shift numbers so dramatically keep doing that!! "That" is hope and being different than the typical mudslinging politician. "That" is something special.
There are many more myths circulating but those are the ones lately that have really drove me crazy since I hear them many times a day. Anyone else know of any?
EDIT: Jdories
Evidence:
1. They have just accepted the Clinton's "Inexperience narrative" without questioning it at all.
After all, he has more experience working with and helping real people - as a social organizer, educator, civil rights attorney, and all of his legislative record helps the average person - from racial profiling, to transparency in government, to ethics rules, to national security - nuclear weapons proliferation. Whereas the Clinton "experience" is nearly all corporate experience against the average person - corporate lawyer against regular people, Wal-Mart board member throughout their worst ethics period, and her legislative experience has been horrid - War on Iraq, Iran Vote, Bankruptcy Bill, etc. Obama has been getting the shaft with the media from the very beginning.
2. For over six months, Hillary was inevitable by the media and Obama was an empty suit.
3. For most of the past year Hillary was deemed winner of every debate by people advising her campaign!!
Nearly every debate on CNN was called for Hillary by Begalia, Brazille, and Carville - Gee, i wonder who they are going to call it for? Then, the rest of the media followed along like sheep!
4. Most recently, the media has fallen like sheep behind the Clinton narrative that Obama has not been vetted, yet nearly every Clinton scandal has been deemed taboo.
I cannot remember the last time I have heard the words Monica, Whitewater, or any other Clinton scandal, yet we have continuously been hearing Rezko since November - when Obama has completely been absolved of any wrong doing!
5. If Obama lost 12 in a row, he would have been rushed out the door a long time ago.
Matter of fact, Obama has not had a single day where he has lost delegates (Until March 4th). In Nevada he won, yet the media called it for Clinton. In New Hampshire, they tied, yet they called it for Clinton. And every other election night he has won delegates by large margins! Yet, despite not being ahead in delegates a single day - Clinton has been deemed as nearly tied almost the entire time!
6. Mini- Super Tuesday - notice that the most hyped election night past Super Tuesday is the one that Hillary has long been expected to win? She has been up in Texas, Ohio, and RI by double digits for the past year. Yet, at the end of the day there will have been more of a delegate swing a few Tuesdays ago when Obama won Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, and D.C. Why was that not Super Tuesday 2? Because Obama was favored.
7. Clinton's taking money from lobbyists has been nowhere on the media radar.
8. The MSM has put Texas and Nevada in the Clinton Column, when Obama clearly won delegates, which is how everyone: Obama, Clinton, and MSM had previously designated the winner to be the person who won delegates!
EDIT: Whitefish
Hillary is resiient
is a corollary myth. See the front page article in the NY Times opinion section today.
She's the energizer bunny.
Or: She's one of the undead, kept alive by her acolytes the Press who trot her out at night during the full moon of every primary.
She's tan, she's rested, she's even got a sense of humor! Hillary!
Nice accounting of all the myths.
UPDATE:
Myth regarding foreign policy "strength".
The media believe that the politician which is most hawkish is the strongest on foreign policy. In that light HRC says she is as strong as McCain on foreign policy (which is also why she voted for the war to appear "tough" and "strong").
The truth is that being hawkish doesn't make one strong. In fact, as in poker, too much aggression is often a weakness. Our aggression over the past 7 years has certainly shown that undue aggression is not strength but weakness.
Being right, using the proper force/peace, is what makes one strong. i thought of this today in the post office. I saw the American eagle holding both fig leaves and arrows and I thought, "there is a place for war but never for aggressive war only for defense"...knowing that is strength.
Also I'd like to thank Gary Hart for speaking our so forcefully today against the recent politics of HRC. I heart Gary Hart.