When it comes to political horserace stories, the editor is confronted with a dilemma. One party is up and the other is down. Which one gets highlighted in the headline isn’t necessarily determined by the story itself. It’s a judgment call, which is why a glance at the headlines can tell us something about the MSM’s judgment.
A few recent examples make the point. The version after the dash is an equally plausible alternate headline you’ll rarely (if ever) see:
- Can DREAM Act Help Deliver Latino Votes to Democrats? – Are Democrats legalizing immigrants for votes?
- Democrats May Not Be Headed for Midterm Bloodbath – How Certain is a Republican Wave?
- New Poll Gives Democrats a Shot of Good News – New Poll a Break in Bad News for Democrats
- Will Obamacare Destroy the Democrats? – Will Obamacare Aid a Republican Takeover?
- Is Pennsylvania an Outlier or are Things Looking Up for Democrats? – Pennsylvania a Lonely Bright Spot for Dems
- Fear and Loathing in the Voting Booth: A New Study Should Raise Democrat’s Midterm Hopes
- Will Arizona’s Tough Immigration Law Fuel Hispanic Turnout for Democrats?
- Democrats Gain New Advantage Before Tuesday Primary. Kind of.
- Can Democrats Wrestle the Populist Mantle from the Tea Partiers? – Can Republicans Capitalize on Tea Party Populism?
- Can Democrats Win on the Disclose Act?
- The Silver Lining in the Democrats Electoral Cloud
- Will Bush Bashing Help Democrats Win Over Weary Voters? – Are Voters Tired of Dems Bush Bashing?
- How Democrats Can Hold the House – Will the Post offer balance with a “How Republicans Can Take the House” story?
- Polls Offer Glimmer of Hope for Democrats – And that’s what matters
- Frustration Over Economy Saps Democrats Election Enthusiasm – How about “GOP Enthusiasm Surging”
- Democrats in Trouble: But GOP Hasn’t Closed the Deal – Or this could read “GOP Closes in on Big Win”
- Democrats Suffer an Enthusiasm Gap – How about “Republicans Benefit from Enthusiasm Gap”
A few Republican centered headlines showing a different trend:
- GOP Popular Now but the Contest is Still Ahead
- Big Night for Tea Party but Will Upbeat Mood Last?
- The Wrong Kind of Enthusiasm
- As GOP Civil War Rages, Democrats Look to Benefit
You can find some straight headlines if you look, but the MSM is forever offering the Democrats advice and encouragement. It’s almost like they have a horse in this race.
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