This "bitter" controversy has really turned the race upside down. Obama's numbers have plummet--oh, never mind.
This primary campaign has turned into a welfare-to-work-style jobs program for political journalists. They have to say something in order to keep drawing a paycheck, and the fact that the race is over doesn’t change the fact that the mortgage is due. So every day it’s another column, another news special, another Situation Room, another 2,000 blog posts.
The voters, meanwhile, have made up their minds. Obama’s numbers in the Gallup poll have been between 49 and 52 for 18 days straight. That is what the financial types call a “narrow trading range.” The ups and downs within that range are statistical noise, nothing more.
Clinton has trended down slightly over the last few days, it’s true, but she, too, is stuck in a range, if a slightly less narrow one, between 40 and 46.
Every day there is “news” — a new controversy, a new comment, a new outrage — and it makes absolutely no difference to the voters.
It does sell soap, however, and with the economy in the tank, I guess we shouldn’t begrudge the media their advertising dollars. Have at it, fellas. We’re paying attention. No, seriously. What was that you were saying about rural Catholic voters in the Pittsburgh suburbs? Another shakeup in the Clinton camp? How fascinating! Do go on.
