November 7, 2012

Note to Pundits

To all of the pundits who predicted the election of Governor Romney by more than 300 electoral votes: There is no need to acknowledge your error, explain how or why you were mistaken, or express regrets or apologies. Reality is what it is, and has a way of taking care of itself without your input. It might be as well to remember this:

If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.Deuteronomy 18:22

So I do have to wonder why the error-prone talking heads are still nattering away on the airwaves and intertubes, and why anyone would listen to them for any other reason than to assuage their own disappointment by listening to the echoes of their ideology. Perhaps that is reason in itself. Misery loves company, the old saying has it.

Meanwhile, it is time for the country to pick itself up, dust itself off, and get to work. The Republican members of Congress should realize that obstruction will not be long tolerated, and for most of you the next election is in two years. It is time to lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Mr. President, you have our attention. 

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG

UPDATE: See this graphic from the inimitable folks at Slate.com. It is a graphic display of who among the pundits did well or poorly in their estimations. The fact that Conservative pundits were more "off" than the moderates or liberals testifies to the stupifying effects of their ideology.

tsh

5 comments:

IT said...

My take on the bite back by reality:

http://friends-of-jake.blogspot.com/2012/11/returning-to-reality.html

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG said...

The GOP needs some heavy disenchantment, and I think the process has started.

June Butler said...

The chart is priceless. There's that one blue outlier dart. I wonder who that is. I thought Obama would win, but I could not relax until the result was announced, because last minute surprises happen.

Republicans must have been inside an impervious bubble to be so confident they'd win and so shocked and disbelieving when they were defeated. Did no one in the inner circle doubt?

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG said...

Mimi, it's a great graphic. If you "hover: over a dart you see who threw it, and what they were aiming at. The wild outlier "blue" is Jared Cramer of CNBC. The only "red" who predicted an Obama win was Ross Douthat of NY Times, and even he was off by 61 points!

Impervious bubble is right. Fanatics fool themselves....

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG said...

Oops, that should be "Jim Cramer." Obviously Fr Jared would never make such a wildly off estimate!