Look at the data, Weigel has a chart! Gaffe's don't matter in election contests.
You know what else, doesn't matter? Weigel's chart. Because political reporters are going to keep focusing on gaffes as if they matter no matter what the data says.
On the other hand, the perception that gaffes matter does matter. For it led Mitt Romney to make Obama's alleged "you didn't build that" gaffe the centerpiece of his campaign and the theme to the Republican National Convention. Now that's a screw-up that none of the gaffe-happy reporters will talk about as they Monday morning quarterback the 2012 Romney Campaign. The dude's campaign strategy was based on the assumption that something that does not matter to voters would be able to attract more votes. For that, I suppose, the country should be eternally grateful.
You know what else, doesn't matter? Weigel's chart. Because political reporters are going to keep focusing on gaffes as if they matter no matter what the data says.
On the other hand, the perception that gaffes matter does matter. For it led Mitt Romney to make Obama's alleged "you didn't build that" gaffe the centerpiece of his campaign and the theme to the Republican National Convention. Now that's a screw-up that none of the gaffe-happy reporters will talk about as they Monday morning quarterback the 2012 Romney Campaign. The dude's campaign strategy was based on the assumption that something that does not matter to voters would be able to attract more votes. For that, I suppose, the country should be eternally grateful.
