Is there an element in this of the fact that if you looked at with any degree of sophistication it wasn't actually as close as some made out?
Pundits and the media gain from the narrative that it was on a knife edge because it keeps people coming back for more, but in reality Romney never really picked up, let alone sustained, the sort of position in the swing states that would have led to a win. It was never comfortable for Obama and Romney wasn't out of it but the idea it was neck and neck was fairly dramatically over stated.
Not undermining what Silver did but it seems to me that the same pundits who spoke out against him made him look more impressive than it was by claiming the race was closer than it was.
Pundits and the media gain from the narrative that it was on a knife edge because it keeps people coming back for more, but in reality Romney never really picked up, let alone sustained, the sort of position in the swing states that would have led to a win. It was never comfortable for Obama and Romney wasn't out of it but the idea it was neck and neck was fairly dramatically over stated.
Not undermining what Silver did but it seems to me that the same pundits who spoke out against him made him look more impressive than it was by claiming the race was closer than it was.