Political pundits–and columnists, in particular–are torn, in some ways, between the past and future. They make their judgments, on the one hand, based on history–prior experience, both individual and collective–but also based on their assessments of what tomorrow will bring. The two concerns are connected, to be sure. But at a certain point, and particularly in an election year, you start to feel columnists as a body shifting from analysis to prediction…and focusing their commentary–and their accountability–toward the future rather than the present. In order to be, on the other side of the election, on the right side of history.
Well. I’m feeling such a shift today. Specifically, when reading Charles Krauthammer’s column, which tacitly suggests his decision that the election will go to Obama. Apparently, everyone’s following InTrade.
Megan Garber is an assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. She was formerly a CJR staff writer.