Curious about something regarding media coverage of the Democratic Massachusetts Primary

[Tom Rinaldo]

I can't tell you how often I heard commentators and reporters mention that Massachusetts is a neighboring state to Bennie Sander's Vermont, when they mentioned vote returns from there.

Did anyone here see or read anyone mention that Massachusetts also happens to be a neighboring State to Hillary Clinton's New York in any media reporting?

Vermont shares a short border with Massachusetts, New York's is longer, with it's state capital of Albany close to the Massachusetts state border.

[bigwillq]

1. Bernie lost Mass, time to move on

I get your point, and agree, but won't change a darn thing

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. It's relevent to reporting of states coming up

I suspect that the media will make due note of Maine being a New England state on Sunday, just like Bernie Sander's Vermont, though the two share no border. Will they ever talk about NJ, CT and PA either being neighboring states to New York, or in the case of the latter two, that they like NY are all in the same Mid Atlantic region?

[R B Garr]

18. I think the commentary about being neighbors has more to do with Bernie's sphere

of influence. If he's so well-known in the New England states, why didn't he do better in Mass. I took it that he hasn't had much exposure nationally, but couldn't even lock down New England.

This whole neighboring narrative came up with the New Hampshire Primary when Bill Clinton referenced actual voting history of New Hampshire supporting neighbors. It wasn't just some random connection to every other state in close proximity.

[Tom Rinaldo]

24. To be honest I will be the first to admit that Vermont has scant influence, period.

Vermont politicians do not start out with much of a public profile in Massachusetts or anywhere else until they do something that establishes them on the national stage. Someone from a large highly visible state containing a major media market, like Massachusetts does, might cast some shadow across the border, not the other way around.

As to this:

"This whole neighboring narrative came up with the New Hampshire Primary when Bill Clinton referenced actual voting history of New Hampshire supporting neighbors. It wasn't just some random connection to every other state in close proximity.

I tackled that matter with this:

"FACT CHECK: Do NH primary voters really favor politicians from neighboring states?"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511181157

It it my opinion that 90% of the commentary about how Bernie does in "neighboring states" is political spin grist. Which is why I asked the question that I did in this OP

[R B Garr]

28. Sigh. Bill was talking about Hillary's expectations in NEW HAMPSHIRE, and since he,

himself, had campaigned there, he made a wonkish statement about NEW HAMPSHIRE's voting history as it relates to neighbors and how it would be difficult for Hillary if you consider NEW HAMPSHIRE's voting history of voting for neighbors.

In order for your "analysis" to be consistent with Bill's wonkish statement about New Hampshire, your own analysis would have to include an analysis of each neighboring state and who they favored in primary elections. Only if that analysis showed all the states you are concerned about as favoring neighbors would this even be a talking point. So your comment: "It is my opinion that 90% of the commentary about how Bernie does in "neighboring states" is political spin grist" is completely off the mark of why Bill Clinton brought up New Hampshire's primary voting history. Completely off the mark.

Bill's statement wasn't an attack on Sanders. It was just a cursory comment to a reporter about Hillary's expectations in NEW HAMPSHIRE. I saw him talking to a reporter when he said that, and a couple days later a reporter corrected his comment after research to reflect another election that he had not factored. It was not an attack on Sanders or anything to do with Sanders or expections for other neighboring states. I see the Bernie supporters have latched on to this and it's funny how it is consistently taken out of context.

[Tom Rinaldo]

29. No, it was not all about Bill Clinton

Prior to the New Hampshire primary it was a wide spread talking heads talking point that NH voters always support their neighbors. I heard numerous official Clinton campaign spokespersons make the same point. I never said anyone made any overt attack on Sanders on this theme, it was simply part of spinning the expectations game, but the media played along.

Meanwhile I pointed out something factual that no one has refuted. Both Vermont and New York are physical neighbors of Massachusetts, and only Sanders was repeatedly referenced as being from a neighboring state. I think the implication being made was clear, that this was an advantage that Sanders had that should help boost his vote total. You may disagree. There has been some thoughtful discussion on this thread which I appreciate.

[R B Garr]

30. There was no discussion of how New York would factor into the New Hampshire

primary that I've heard, so I saw no such implication. New York doesn't even vote until way after New Hampshire, so how would that affect vote totals. It makes no sense as the comments were relating to the NEW HAMPSHIRE primary.

Not everything is an attack on Sanders. They were just wonkish talking points for the early NEW HAMPSHIRE primary. Trying to stretch it to mean Sanders is being picked on is really tedious and unnecessary.

[bigwillq]

23. It's not the media's fault

That Bernie is not winning.
Bernie is doing better than I thought he would, but his base is limited. That's the reason why he's not winning in some of these states.

[monicaangela]

3. Just another way for the media

to attempt to make any Sanders loss no matter how miniscule look as though it says something about the candidate himself. The media is really trying to make sure Bernie doesn't win this election and we all know why.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. It sure as hell does

Here:

http://www.freeworldmaps.net/united-states/northeast/index.html

[mcar]

7. Geez I forgot about the western border

My bad.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. No problem. It's far away from Boston and the Red Sox lol n/t

[mcar]

12. That's it exactly!

[ConsiderThis_2016]

6. The Mass Turnpike... I-90

Dumps into NY, buy a map

[unc70]

9. You might want to look at a map!

Albany is only 45 minutes from Stockbridge, MA. You must be using that screwed up GOP map.

[JaneyVee]

10. But she won Mass.

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. Yep, by 15,000 votes

Last edited Thu Mar 3, 2016, 11:45 AM - Edit history (1)

Even Bernie's huge neighboring state advantage wasn't enough for him to win it

[JaneyVee]

22. Actually, she won by 17,000.

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. OK. I had checked a site that said 14,000+ with 100% reporting...

Might have been USA Today - I can't find it again quickly, been to too many places today. I accept the 17,000 figure though and stand corrected on that.

[ConsiderThis_2016]

11. VT has a very long border with NY

Clintons aren't from NY. They're NY carpet baggers from conservative AR. Same place Mike Huckabee is from... grits & gravy. The Clinton's gravy was wall street via Harlem.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. Demographically Massachusetts and New York couldn't be more different.

http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/25


http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/36

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. The shared border areas aren't that different

Meaning Western Massachusetts, Upstate New York, and Southern Vermont

There are plenty of differences between Vermont and Massachusetts also, starting with urban/rural demographic breakdowns.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. I grew up there but moved away when I was a kid...

When I think of NY I think of a big amalgam of different people, Massachusetts not so much, and Vermont even less.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Because this was a must-win for Bernie

Although MA borders NY, it is considered part of New England.

[onenote]

16. Clinton's strength was not along the Vermont/New York Border

In 2000, Lazio won most of the border counties.
http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=36&year=2000&f=0&off=3&class=1

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. Yes, but it misses the point

The media point has always been, starting with New Hampshire, that Bernie should be expected to do well in his neighboring states so whatever support he shows in them can be discounted.

Now if they were willing to go to the trouble instead of making a case for regional identity differences diving voter profiles and results, that might be different.

[onenote]

21. I don't think it should be discounted. I do think it should be expected.

Vermont and Massachusetts are more similar than Massachusetts and New York.

[catnhatnh]

26. Well Tom

If we really get into it Hillary's home states are Illinois, Connecticut, Arkansas, New York, and Washington DC. How many neighboring states is that?

[Tom Rinaldo]

27. LOL. Not to mention that she's the best known woman in the world...

But she did get elected from New York