WDYT: When Is a “Tie” Not Really a Tie?

I noticed something interestingg yesterday. Gallup now shows Obama rising to a 7% lead over McCain, while 538.com continues to show a favorable electoral map for Obama. Just as the corporate media was beginning to celebrate the “McMentum”, McCain’s seems to be falling farther behind again.

So despite what seems to be a stable (if sometimes slight) Obama edge in this Presidential Race, why is the corporate media portraying this as a “50-50 tie”? Sure, most polls are still fairly close. And yes, McCain’s far from throwing in the towel. But even considering that, Obama has held a stable lead in most national & state polls since the end of primary season in early June. Yet if one only pays attention to the network evening news and/or the cable news pundit-palooza, one would think that McCain’s quickly gaining on Obama… When that’s simply not the case.

So how do you explain the state of the race? And how would you describe the media’s coverage of it? Are they perhaps being a little too cautious in covering this contest as a “50-50 tie”? Are they giving McCain too much benefit of the doubt even though he can’t keep up with Obama? Or am I just missing something here?

OK, then. You know what to do. The floor is yours. 🙂

5 Comments

  1. The corporate media has been so bullied and intimidated by the right, and especially by the vicious hacks at Fox, that they all follow the Republican talking points slavishly.

  2. I think that its in the media’s best interest to show that the race is close, otherwise nobody would pay attention to the talking heads on TV. A seven point national poll lead is pretty big.

  3. This isn’t a complaint about this particular poll, but with most of them (this included). Registered voters does not mean likely voters. Who knows what kind of lead Obama would or would not have if the results are limited to people who say they probably will vote, might vote, or definitely will vote?

  4. This is reminiscent of ’92, when polls were showing Clinton/Bush in a tight race, yet Clinton had a clear electoral college lead. And we know what happened in ’92.

  5. Conservative media has given McCain a free pass on purpose. I seriously believe that TPTB are hoping for a McCain victory because wars, hatred, divisiveness, and the general unhappiness of Americans and the endless, mindless speculation about their root causes have been a ratings boon for the media masters. They have found that peace and prosperity and a society with mutual goals are not newsworthy and don’t make $$$. They need things to constantly talk about in the endless news cycle. I for one turned off CNN months ago when they started in the Reverend Wright manufactured controversy, and haven’t been back. I don’t want to help them in their quest to tear this country apart over non-issues.

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