The political media is being Moneyballed, and it doesn't like it

[Alekei_Firebird]

The parallels between Moneyball and what we're seeing this election cycle in the media are strikingly similar. As in baseball, the political media is full of ex-pros, lifelong insiders, and nepotism cases. They get a (fairly) glamorous and well-paid job in which they get to be on TV and act as if their thoughts and analyses are more valid than those of the rest of the population.

There's no metric of merit that decides who gets to be on TV. In cases like Luke Russert's, it's just sheer nepotism. Many pundits are also washed-up politicians (Joe Scarborough, Ed Rendell, Michael Steele, Mike Huckabee, etc) who'd have nowhere else to go that would lend them the spotlight like their old political careers used to.

The only pundit I truly respect is Rachel Maddow. Not only is she extremely smart, well-informed, and entertaining, but she's also a lesbian with short hair who couldn't have possibly benefited from the old boys' network that is media.

So basically, you've got an entire class of people who don't have any real merits but are nevertheless holding down very cushy jobs. Then along comes the likes of Nate Silver and all these stats guys who are letting the world know that you don't need hour-long cable news shows centered around one massive ego to tell you the essentials: Obama has a really good chance of winning, and no debate or gaffe or photo-op actually changes that.

As a result, their entire livelihood is threatened. They're petrified that they'll no longer be "celebrities" on television. Ugh, they might even have to go back to doing real work like teaching classes at a university or publishing papers.

The whole "Romney is winning" narrative is a direct challenge to the Nate Silvers of the world, and it's the media's desperate attempt to try to have something relevant and non-redundant to say in an America that no longer trusts TV news all that much.

[ret5hd]

1. They will have a job as long as...

Boeing and Monsanto and JP Morgan and Walmart and Lockheed et al say they have a job. They are the only "people" they have to satisfy.

IOW, turn off the TV.

[flamingdem]

2. It has been pathetic, especially the "It's tied!" routine

Rachel indulged in that probably because she had to when NBC got those results.

Martin Bashir never had to do it, or chose not to play that game. They may give him leeway, he may risk it, who knows.

[TheZug]

3. Yes. These people are hacks.

They base their analysis on next to nothing--their "gut feelings," as if their particular guts were special.

I'm rooting for Silver not just because he's projecting Obama to win but because if he's right there will be egg all over those jackholes' faces.

[gordianot]

4. Like that new fangled internet machine they still do not know what to do about it or with it.

Nate Siver seems to be able to make sense of crappy data and those rare occasions numbers make sense. Good grief he is able to make sense of Math!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

5. Impressive display of writing and insight.

Thanks for posting.

[Jennicut]

6. The internet is taking over their jobs.

It has happened to newspapers. Network news and cable news have viewers that skew older. A lot of people are getting their info from the internet and I think that bothers some of the hacks. That is not to say that the internet is not full of nutballs and info that is not true. It is. But the hacks are mad that they are not the be all and end all of news reporting anymore. People are going around the,m more and more.

[smorkingapple]

7. We'll need a few more cycles before traditional political analysis completely goes by the wayside

and you still need your color commentators though. This is wrestling after all.

[OKNancy]

8. What I don't get is, won't they be embarrassed

when the results come in? Will they backtrack or acted shocked, or spend hours and hours analyzing why they were wrong?

[tarheelsunc]

9. They will make up some excuse

They're already pushing some: polling firms don't poll Spanish households, Obama looks "presidential" after the hurricane, broken likely voter models...

[Alekei_Firebird]

11. I bet they'll push Sandy as the "October Surprise" that pushed Obama over the top

And every four years from now on, the media will be on the lookout for the next natural disaster to turn an "underdog" like Obama supposedly was in 2012 into a big winner. GAG.

[-LOKI -BAD FOR YA]

13. i think all of above,at same time,the most fun start at 8:30 est nov 6

toadie will be first to act like he knew obama would win,but he was being neutral ,micheal steele with bring his sorry *ss out claiming their should be bipartisanship and a new beginning .dickhead gregory will cry a river. oknancy enjoy the show .

[Blue Idaho]

10. They should be afraid.

The American media model is based on bringing viewers to ads. Period. It's true corporations have an incestuous mulitmillion dollar relationship with the political chattering class but it is also true we can do something about that. Without us the American media model breaks down.

Take away the viewers and the corporations will spend their money somewhere else. Good bye Fuck Todd, Good bye Dance Machine David Gregory, Good Bye Jake The Snake Tapper. If they don't believe it that can look at pedofile drug addict Rushbo's current earnings trend line.

Want to scare the shit out of the political puppets? eMail the networks and let them know you are on to their game - you are done watching their bullshit coverage AND then - follow through and switch off the M$M machine.

We hold more power in our hands than we give ourselves credit for. It's about time we started using it!

GET OUT THE VOTE!

[nolabear]

12. Democratization of media is hard on them. I actually appreciate the learned commentators

but the institutionalized, the Moneyballers as you call them, I think you've got right on. The system will, and needs to, undergo a profound change so that those who actually have background and expertise aren't on the same field as the trolls on comments sections, or the bloggers who just bloviate, but do have to give us good reason to trust them.

[GeorgeGist]

14. Did you actually see Moneyball?