Many diarists on this site have pointed out a not-so-subtle cheerleading effort for Mittens from the main stream media. Day in and day out, polls showing an Obama lead of 4 points are portrayed as evidence of a "tie," while polls showing Romney up by even a single point are broadcast with gusto as proof of Romney "surging." Recent diaries have even described episodes where NPR seems to have become a booster for Romney.
So why is this? All of you good people on this site seem to be missing something. The media are not all bad people. But they are human.
Call it the Santa Clause effect--officially non-partisan Washington is salivating over the prospect of four months of Christmas.
As someone who lived in Washington for many years and worked as an advocate for the public interest, I can tell you that the change in administrations from Bush I to Clinton and from Clinton to Bush II was like an extended Christmas for anyone living in that town whose job revolved around politics.
First there is the fun of finding out who is on the transition teams--the public ones they talk about and the private ones that include names too "hot" for public consumption. Reporters have the joy of hunting up the goods on these people, many of them complete nobodies. Who is seen at the important restaurants talking to the important members of the new team?
Then there are all of the cabinet positions and sub-cabinet positions to be filled. Dozens of names to be bandied about, trial balloons to be floated and shot down, old positions, quotes, extra marital affairs, etc. to be researched. Fun, fun, fun!!! Its even better than the vice presidential selection process because there are so many more positions to fill.
Then there are the white papers that arrive from the endless number of advocacy groups whose side has suddenly retaken control of Washington. When Clinton won in 1992, I was one of those people who lived the thrill of writing one of these things and having people on the transition team actually meet with me to discuss my manifesto (!) When Bush won in 2000, the other team had their time to do the same.
There are countless stories to research and write about what the change in power portends for the economy, trade, the military, agriculture, the environment, poverty, housing programs, and on and on and on. There are hours and hours of speaking opportunities, chin stroking pontifications, extrapolations, interpretations of what the change MEANS.
A change in administration from D to R or R to D is like 4 straight months of Christmas. This is why Chuck Todd is salivating into his nasty little ghost of a goatee and why Mark Halperin has the creepy smile going, signifying the tingle he's getting up his leg.
The simple fact is if (WHEN) Obama wins, there will be much less fun for officially non-partisan Washington than there was in 2008 (or 2000, 1992, 1980, etc.)
Hang in there folks. GOTV! Vote! Our side will prevail if we do what we need to do.
