No cliffhanger, more like an Obama landslide (Sydney Morning Herald)

[depakid]

The US media stand accused of distorted election coverage, writes Anne Davies in Washington.

Luckily for the Republican nominee John McCain Europeans can't vote in the November US presidential election - just 100 days away. If they could it would be a landslide for the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.

Nevertheless Senator McCain has reason to be worried - very worried. Last week three leading political scientists declared the US media's presentation of the election as a toss-up as a "myth".

Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science at Emory University, Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution, and Larry Sabato, professor of politics at University of Virginia, accused the media of flogging a dead horse in trying to portray the presidential race as a cliffhanger.

It was a particularly bold call for Professor Sabato, who has previously cautioned about Senator Obama's claims that he can redraw the political map in America. "While no election outcome is guaranteed and McCain's prospects could improve over the next 3½ months, virtually all of the evidence that we have reviewed - historical patterns, structural features of this election cycle, and national and state polls conducted over the last several months - point to a comfortable Obama/Democratic Party victory in November," the three men wrote in Sabato's Crystal Ball newsletter.

"Trumpeting this race as a toss-up, almost certain to produce another nail-biter finish, distorts the evidence and does a disservice to readers and viewers who rely upon such punditry. Again, maybe conditions will change in McCain's favour, and if they do, they should also be accurately described by the media. But current data do not justify calling this election a toss-up."

More: http://www.smh.com.au/news/us-election/no-cliffhanger-more-like-an-obama-landslide/2008/07/27/1217097059908.html

[Shine]

1. Nice. I'm glad to see the US media being called out for their distortions!

:thumbsup:

I've been predicting an Obama landslide all along. :woohoo:

[unblock]

8. this is old new, but great news!

sabato has had this article on his website for a while now. i think i read it 2 or 3 weeks ago. the "news" is just that it got picked up by the news paper you cited.

still sabato leans right in his estimations (which historically have roughly cancelled out election theft.

if he's thinking it's not even close, then we're definitely headed for a landslide!

[mod mom]

2. Are they aware of our election system? I believe Obama should win by a landslide but whether he

will is another story.

[depakid]

5. Most Aussies understand the electoral system reasonably well

because it's not that different than their own system, where one can lose the "government" even though the party wins the popular vote.

What people don't get at all is the primary system (LOL -it is absurd), computerized voting (in Oz, paper ballots votes are counted by hand) and the appalling nature of the American corporate media.

On this last point though, as the article suggests- many are starting to get a clue.

[davidpdx]

11. I work with a guy from Australia

and the whole primary system was completely confusing to him. He was following the US election pretty closely and we talked about it almost everyday. Whether he understands the electoral system or not, I'm not sure. I may have to ask him that tomorrow.

[depakid]

12. Ask him about constituencies

In the Australian parliametary system, constituencies called "seats" carry the same sort of electoral weight as states do in America.

For example, Labor can win the popular vote- but lose a majority of seats in the House of Representatives- and therefore lose the government.

ps: If he's progressive (or especially if he's not) -ask him about Bennelong....:o

[EV_Ares]

3. I think our corporate media have gotten so blatant and out of hand, it can't be missed

how incompetent, biased and how they make the news instead of reporting it which is what their job is supposed to be.

Also, now that we are on this, could someone tell me who the hell they are talking about all the time when they say "so many are asking this question". Today, on CNN they mentioned that question regarding "Is Barack black enough?" How dumb and who the hell are the people asking that question. It is a media question and not one that anyone in the public venue would have asked or thought about I would guess. So many more but as the other poster said I am always glad to see them get called out for what they are.

[L0oniX]

4. Only saying what we already know ...the media is full of horse shit.

[cliffordu]

6. POTD!!!! (Post of the day) !!!!! Kicked and Recommended!!!

[ginnyinWI]

7. Off to greatest page. I do hope this prediction comes true! nt

[samsingh]

9. this needs to be known so that

anything but an Obama victory will not be accepted by the public.

[Number23]

10. Yay Aussies!

Why in the world did this "Obvious News of the Month" moment have to come from a foreign news service??????????

"Obama is leading in every state carried by John Kerry in 2004 along with six states carried by George Bush: Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, Indiana, Nevada and Colorado. A seventh Bush state, Virginia, is tied," they wrote.

God bless 'em....

[phrigndumass]

13. Domo arigato, Mr. Sabato

It had to be done.

:thumbsup: