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March 28, 2008

What Sticks, What Slides

Matt Bai has a "postulate" about why some political missteps dog candidates and why others seem to fade quickly away: "...whether or not a bad moment sticks to the candidate depends on how closely related it is to the core rationale of that candidate or his opponent."

Sounds good. If this postulate is to become a theory will depend entirely on its ability to predict outcomes.

One thing is missing in the Bai postulate: The role of the news media. His postulate seems to assume that news of political missteps come from nowhere or everywhere or just spring fully formed in the public mind. The fact of the matter is this: Most Americans experience presidential campaign politics through the news media and/or the interactive media. In other words-- mediated.

One might posit this amended postulate: Whether or not a bad moment sticks to the candidate depends on how closely the news media and pundits connect it to the core rationale of that candidate or his opponent and how much time and ink is spent discussing the connection.



Posted by acline at March 28, 2008 7:23 AM | | Spotlight