Thursday, November 01, 2012

BREAKING: Both Sides Claim To Be Winning. Could One Be Wrong? How Would We Know?

We have discovered the perfect metaphor for the state of professional journalistic journalism here in these United States of America and his name is Jon Karl who is the walking, talking, salary collecting, Senior Political Correspondent, who also  won the 2011 Joan Shorenstein Barone Award for excellence in Washington-based reporting and an Emmy Award for his coverage of the 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Obama. In 2001 he won the National Press Foundation’s Everett McKinley Dirksen Award, the highest honor for Congressional reporting.

In other words, the dude knows his craft, both the science and the art of professional journalistic journalism practiced by highly trained, talented and committed professional journalistic journalists. Recently, when asked to apply his expertise in the art and science of political reporting to the current presidential tussle, Mr Karl--did we mention he won the 2011 Joan Shorenstein Barone Award for excellence in Washington-based reporting? Mr. Karl responded thusly:
“I think more than any other race I’ve covered this is one where both sides genuinely seem to believe they’re going to win. That’s different,” ABC News correspondent Jon Karl said. “Given that, it’s hard for somebody covering the race to make a call. I’m completely confused. I have no idea who’s going to win. And I usually have a sense of who’s going to win.”
Dang. The Romney camp says they're going to win. The Obama camp says they're going to win. Whataya gonna do? We mean, they both say it. And they say it so convincingly. A true conundrum Mr. Karl, a true conundrum. And if a professional journalistic journalist such as yourself with your years of training and experience, with your talent, and obvious adeptness can't figure it out, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Oh if only there were some way to tell. If only there were some way to ferret out the truth from the thicket of competing claims, both of which have merit because both sides genuinely seem to believe what they are saying.

Well, there's nothing for it but to cast our fate before the gods of random chance and prepare for the first time in our history where there will be two presidents. What are the odds of that, huh? Wonder if Nate Silver could tell us.

1 comment:

scripto said...

Ah - Nate Silver. Making the stupid look stupider since 2008.