Monday, November 17, 2008

ELECTION MYTHOLOGY IS STARTING ALREADY

The election is only two weeks past and already some ideas that are probably not true are starting to become part of the conventional wisdom. Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post has come up with a list of five myths that don't hold much water:

  1. The Republican Party has suffered a death blow
    (The disaster was worse in 1964 and it came back in 1968).
  2. A wave of black voters and young voters was the key to Obama's victory
    (There was no significant increase in turnout by either group, although they did vote for Obama).
  3. The Democrats will now usher in a new progressive era
    (About a third of the House Democrats are from Republican districts and they will be very cautious).
  4. A Republican could have won the presidency this year
    (So many people hate George Bush that probably nothing could have saved the GOP).
  5. McCain made a huge Mistake in picking Sarah Palin
    (While she cost him independents, without her he would have lost his base, which is worse).

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