TPM Reader ML asks why I’m surprised …
You find this so hard to believe? This seems totally unsurprising to me. The whole basis of the modern conservative movement is an indifference or hostility to facts.
Okay, enough of that presidential stuff. Smartphone battery life could be doubled or tripled with new uber-cool silicon graphene technology.
The Carmona campaign says they haven’t given up yet on the Arizona Senate race. And the outstanding vote numbers suggest there’s a non-trivial chance he could still win.
TPM Reader SS says, no way. He’s not buying shell shocked and neither should I …
Josh, your initial instincts were correct IMO.
Mitt could have won FL, OH and VA, and Obama would still have won the election.
The poll numbers even unskewed had to show the IA, CO, NH and the rest were very close (in reality they were in the 3-4 point margin?)
TPM Reader MH echoes TPM Reader SS in just not buying ‘Shellshock’. His main point is the point I’ve made a few times now. I can believe all the rest about ‘Shellshock. But the real tell for me, the best evidence is what these folks were actually doing. I still think the move into PA only makes sense as a desperation move. Indeed, as long a shot as it was, it actually did make sense, given the terrain they were dealing with. Anyway, TPM Reader MH …
Allow me to echo the sentiments of Reader SS: the “shell-shocked” claim is nonsense. Romney’s inner circle (and the GOP establishment in general) may have gone into election night cautiously optimistic about their prospects, having convinced themselves that the unskewing analysis had some merit. They might even have thought there was some plausible chance that things could break in their favorable and result in a comfortable win.
As we delve deeper into the ‘Shellshock’ meme, it seemed time to offer a short primer so everyone can understand the true outlines of the meme and its canonical meaning.
Primer after the jump … Read More
How would you plan it exactly, asks TPM Reader D?
The readers arguing against shell shock are saying that this line is being purveyed on behalf of the interests of the Republican Party. I don’t find that persuasive. That would be a plausible argument if it originated from the RNC. But a losing Presidential campaign? Do they really care that much about the party? I just don’t see that as a sufficient motivation to generate a disciplined PR line.
And ask yourself — what would it take to produce a uniform political line among a band that had just lost. I mean, how would the word come down? Did they actually have a conversation about it? Did Romney himself, or perhaps his campaign manager actually put out an edict that said,”Hey, we all know we were really playing a losing hand, but now we’ve got to pull together one more time. We’ve all got to get on the same page and say we really believed our skewed polling and now we’re shellshocked.”?
In the interests of national security and humor, I want to ask that we take a time out and identify everyone in this script before proceeding with this scandal. Read More
Under the fold please find what are likely the most awesome four paragraphs written so far in the Petraeus scandal. Read More