The Press and Romney's Fate

Look around the web this morning at the coverage of Romney (emphasis added to add emphasis). Here's ABC News:

And it’s a good thing because the last two weeks have brought more than a few of those “unexpected demands” — from a foreign policy crisis that spilled over onto the campaign trail to a hidden camera video that landed Romney in hot water to the release of his tax returns on Friday. Even the disclosure of his 2011 tax documents, has become the subject of blunt attacks by Democrats.

Of course not everyone thinks he botched the 9/11 statement, especially after 12 days of waffling and apologizing by the administration while the riots continue. And not everyone sees the 47 percent tape the same, especially since nobody knows what's in the 1-2 minute gap Jimmy Carter's grandson forgot to record. And the Democrats were going to blast his taxes and ignore his charitable giving no matter what. Here's NBC News:

Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan held events in Florida Saturday, trying to reverse what has been a seemingly difficult week for Mitt Romney’s campaign. NBC’s Ron Mott reports.

Listening to the big media one might think it's been a tough week for Romney ever since he was de facto nominated in the spring.  Yet for some reason Gallup has the race at 47/47.  Irony, anyone?

Here's the WaPo headline:

Romney team is both defiant and realistic

Need to read any further? Here's the Paper of Record:

With Rich Donors, a More Candid Romney Emerges

And that's how it works. The big media decides Romney has had a bad week, which sets up the strawman of him having a bad week, after which they proceed to discuss the strawman continuously as 'news', which only perpetuates the strawman.

What to do!  Well, it used to be said that a GOP politico had to have the skills of Ronald Reagan to end-run this press and get his message to the people, but again, despite Romney's 'bad weeks' he's still neck and neck in the polls.  Notice that Gallup poll showing Obama's lead evaporating from 50-44 on September 6 to tied now, yet the Romney bad-week narrative continues today.    Yes, the real story right now is how he's remarkably hanging in there--even gaining ground--despite Obama's bad weeks being papered over by the same media.  But of course, they wouldn't report that.  Oh, did you hear?  Romney has already lost the October debates.  Sounds like a bad month.  

WHICH IS IT?   9/23/12

Dueling headlines.   CNN, while lessening it's own blockbuster story pitting a less-than-truthful Hillary against Anderson Cooper, has the following headline about Romney:

Priebus on Romney: 'Not the best week'

Click on over to ABC News and you'll see this headline:

Reince Priebus: Last Week Was ‘Good’ For GOP

Of course both are essentially the same message--we've decided Romney sucked last week so how dare anyone disagree, both continuing to hammer the 'secret' video and release of his taxes as defining a 'bad week'.  Meanwhile, Romney caught up with Obama in the Gallup poll.  One wonders if they are even aware of their disease.