John Roberts, CNN - "No question, this race is beginning to tighten"

[NRaleighLiberal]

standing at his stupid map using data that is within the margin of error (last week it was a 2 point spread, now a 1 point spread, clearly tightening).

Spin, spin, spin media - make it look close so that the people continue to turn in.

Are these talking heads as ignorant and stupid as they appear, or is all of this just what they are being told to say by their corporate masters, I wonder?

[tekisui]

1. Rating$$$.

Nothing more. They want to present a horse race for viewers, rating$$ and money.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It gives them more to talk about. The media want a tight race

so they have an excuse to flap their gums about minutiae. A clear advantage and likely win by one candidate leaves them with too much empty air time and nothing to blather about.

By the way, John Roberts, you stupid git, don't use statistical noise as "evidence" the race is tightening, because it isn't.

[REP]

3. They got two weeks to fill; have to make following Caspar the Angry Ghost interesting somehow

[Celebrandil]

4. Races always tighten up closer to the end.

[CitizenLeft]

5. maybe it's a good thing

Since Obama is clearly kicking ass in the state polls and racking up the EVs, maybe voters won't relax and will maintain that urgent need to vote. They might even be doing Obama a favor.

Jackasses.

[wildflower]

11. I agree. Check this out from fivethirtyeight.com:

"What we're seeing on the ground with volunteering, especially with public polls showing double digit leads in Pennsylvania, is that the "flake rate" for volunteers is higher. "Flake rate" is the term for how the percentage of people who sign up to do a canvassing or phonebanking shift, and then don't show up. It tends to happen when a candidate's supporters get complacent. And it can happen in a hurry.

"Indeed, Barack Obama himself hopped on a nationwide all-staff conference call Friday to emphasize this point to the troops. Pledging to "come down hard" on anyone getting "too cocky," Obama specifically and pre-emptively called out any semblance of lack of focus. High-fiving, for example, is strictly verboten. Acknowledging everyone must be exhausted, he pointed out that he was pretty worn out too. "I've been doing this longer than you, and I'm older than all of you." The message: if I can finish this off, so can you. Do not doubt that this is a man firmly in control of his campaign." (From http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/on-road-philadelphia-suburbs.html .)

So if there's a little poll tightening (but JUST a little), it may ultimately be good for us.

[Jennicut]

6. They want it tight but after yesterday's Gallup I just don't see it.

I have been following Gallup for awhile and the state polls for a long time and there are small fluctuations here and there. Face it, they think a guaranteed victory is boring.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

7. They do that every morning, it seems.

Cherry-picking the polls to find one or two that are closer than previous. I've been mentioning that here. It surely does appear that it's a conscious effort designed to build more drama into their coverage--rather than accuracy. Good going, John Roberts! Just don't go calling yourself a journalist.

[frickaline]

8. MOE = +/- 40 points

The more incompetent the media and polls, the tighter the race can be.

[tazkcmo]

9. John Roberts

"No question, my sphincter is tightening! Look, I can open a soda bottle!" What a tool.

[a kennedy]

10. I used to really like this guy......now he's doing his "job" making it a

horse race...... :puke:

[BootinUp]

12. De Camptown Races

De Camptown ladies sing dis song, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
De Camptown race-track five miles long, Oh, doo-dah day!
I come down dah wid my hat caved in, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I go back home wid a pocket full of tin, Oh, doo-dah day!
Gwine to run all night!
Gwine to run all day!
I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag,
Somebody bet on de bay.
De long tail filly and de big black hoss, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Dey fly de track and dey both cut across, Oh, doo-dah-day!
De blind hoss sticken in a big mud hole, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Can't touch bottom wid a ten foot pole, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Chorus
Old muley cow come on to de track, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
De bob-tail fling her ober his back, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Den fly along like a rail-road car, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Runnin' a race wid a shootin' star, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Chorus
See dem flyin' on a ten mile heat, Doo-dah doo-dah!
Round de race track, den repeat, Oh, doo-dah-day!
I win my money on de bob-tail nag, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I keep my money in an old tow-bag, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Chorus

[book_worm]

13. the media likes to pick and choose what polls they report.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. Isn't this the same guy who said yesterday McCorpse is pulling out of CO

and NM?

[WinkyDink]

15. Close so that theft looks plausible.

[TexasObserver]

16. I'd like to say to him: "You're being disingen-u-ass!!"

The daily tracking poll is double digits.

CNN and other news organs are trying desperately to make the race closer with such segments.