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June 23, 2010

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The fact that Obama's results were close to the leading models may mean race was not a significant factor. Or, it may mean that several of the factors not in the models were significant, but canceled each other out.

ISTM that there were 3 potentially large factors that (I assume) were not reflected in the leading models:
1. Race
2. Obama's lack of experience
3. Biased media coverage

IMHO #3 cannot be separated from #1. Obama's media coverage was extraordinarily favorable because he was black.* Race hurt him because of racism, but it also helped him get more favorable coverage.

I would conclude that (Race + Media Bias) helped Obama by about the same amount that his lack of experience hurt him. I know of no way to estimate how small or large this amount might be. Nor can I estimate what the effect of race would have been had the media coverage been balanced.

*More precisely, Obama got extraordinarily favorable coverage because he's a black Democrat. Clarence Thomas has not gotten favorable media coverage.

For a recent example of media bias in favor of Obama, see Tom Maguire's evisceration of Reuters' curious perception of the reaction to Obama's "whose ass to kick" comment.

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