I'm amazed at how dopey these MSNBC "political analysts" are.

[elperromagico]

They know nothing about polling at all. They know jack about the margin of error. They wave around a single poll and call it a "trend."

They've been talking all day about a single poll in Rhode Island that shows Chafee a point ahead. Never mind that all other recent polls have shown Chafee trailing by several points. Chafee's "closing the gap." No he isn't. That shows a total ignorance of what polling is about. If you have ten polls showing one result and one showing a completely different result, guess what? That one poll is probably wrong.

A 52 D-48 R race is not a "statistical dead heat." The likelihood that it's actually tied is pretty damned slim. With a margin of error of 4%, the chance that the Democrat isn't leading is about 16%.

And no, Santorum's get out the vote effort isn't likely to sweep him to victory. I don't care how good it is. If he were a point or two behind, maybe it would help. But he's about 10-12 points behind. Unless he plans on getting out the vote with the help of a shovel, his goose is cooked.

Don't mind me. Just ranting.

[rurallib]

1. No offense - but how can anybody be amazed at the low quality

of American news in any respect?
Wonder if they won't let Olbermann on or he doesn't want to be seen with the others?

[Old and In the Way]

7. Olbermann will be anchoring election night with Mathews.

He was on a thread at FireDogLake today and mentioned that.

[elperromagico]

8. I knew they were lazy. I just didn't suspect how far their ignorance went

until I started checking some of the crazy shit they say.

I've been tracking polls in these races. They're not "tightening." If they are, they're tightening by a point or half a point at best.

[WCGreen]

9. Come on... only about 150k people are actually watching

these knumbskulls.....

[WCGreen]

2. Watcha movie, take a walk, rake some leaves....

This crap will just kill you if you let it...

They have to promote some interest, some potential for news in order to justify the circle jerk they call wall to wall political coverage...

Normal people just don't watch this shit...

Especially on a nice weather Sunday with some great football on the tube....

[elperromagico]

4. It's not nice weather here. It's raining.

I turn it off periodically - it just drives me crazy. But then I get drawn back in.

[C_U_L8R]

3. They get behind the poll that supports THEIR interests

RATINGS
they want viewers to think it will be a close game

[Zensea]

10. Bingo!

Ratings.
Not to say that some of them don't have underlying biases for Republicans, but the main underlying factor is ratings.
If it's not a horse race down to the wire no one will pay any attention to them so they make it seem that way.

[C_U_L8R]

14. You can be sure they get paid

or at least bonused on ratings
and ad revenue

[EFerrari]

5. I can't listen to them because I can't afford a new teevee. n/t

[liberalhistorian]

6. Well, with the likes of Whora Noron O'Donnell

and Little Big Man Bowtie, whaddaya expect?

The panic of the complicit, compliant, corporate lackey MSM is really something to behold lately. They know the power is shifting and they're gonna have to make kissy face with the very Dems they've lied about, smeared, denigrated, disparaged, downgraded and manipulated these past six years. Plus, their corporate masters ain't gonna be happy with them, either, and they're probably catching shit in that regard, too. They just can't believe that they can't manipulate the dumb proles anymore and that we actually have SOME power and we're actually daring (gasp! shock! horror!) to use it and aren't falling for their manipulative bullshit anymore. Ain't schadenfreude great; it's gonna taste sooooooo delicious Tuesday night and Wednesday!

[Rick Myers]

11. It's not as much the host's fault as it is the...

...24 year-old 'producer' in the booth talking in their ear. They prep and control the show, and they serve their korporate overlords by sniffing the glove...

[wanpete]

12. Whora McDonnell was almost "orgasmic" with delight as she reported the

tightening races as rethugs close the gap. I quit watching because it was silly and a waste of time. By the way, they really need some diversity in their "political analysts". I'm sick of seeing Tucker, Scarborough and the likes as if these guys are some type of political gurus or something.

Yuck!

[C_U_L8R]

16. That was no orgasm

Republicans are showing their fear...
They're frightened about basic stuff.. like their jobs
these party shills are about to be waaaaay on the outside
especially Nora. And it's about time.

[wanpete]

17. anything that puts Norah on the outside is great with me. She has been on her knees

for this administration and it's lies since day one. She's pathetic and quite disgusting as she flaunts herself as a journalist and not a shill!

[Skittles]

13. too often they are political whores

I don't pay much attention to them

[provis99]

15. focus on horse races stupid

its just all part of the media's tendency to focus on Congressional elections as though they were horse races. "First the Democrat's ahead, but the Republican is making a charge for 1st on the outside!". Pointless crap. Why can't the media focus on explaining where candidates stand on relevant issues? Do media watchers really care about the horse race nonsense?