OPINION

S.E. CUPP: The fact-free election

It was a week ago that the polls closed in Ohio, but the only thing that's clear from Republican Troy Balderson's slight edge over Democrat Danny O'Connor is that nothing is clear. The race is less than 2,000 votes apart and still too close to call as of this writing.

But this razor-thin near-tie in a special election--for a seat that will be up for a vote again in November--is nevertheless a huge trouncing, both sides are claiming, and it is proof their party is sure to dominate the midterms.

As votes were still being counted, the Republican National Committee blasted out their congrats to Balderson, writing: "With President Trump's support that helped lead him to victory, Troy Balderson's win tonight is another example of the so-called 'blue wave' being nothing but a ripple."

Er, no. If anything, it's an example of unexpectedly high Democratic turnout in a district Trump won in 2016 by 11 points. And to be clear, history, as well as nearly every predictive analysis of the midterms, suggests Republicans will perform poorly in November, particularly in the House.

But welcome to Trump's America, where losses are wins, a tie is a trouncing, waves are ripples and facts matter not at all.

This kind of fact-free spin is hardly new in politics. Democrats, too, spun the results as proof of a blue wave. But I was curious to see how average folks interpreted what was essentially a tie in the era of "fake news" and Trump's "alternative facts."

And, not surprisingly, there was blind rage and willful ignorance on both sides.

I tweeted the RNC's statement and noted the fact--repeat, fact--that Balderson was up 0.9 points in a Trump +11 district.

I got replies from the left claiming that O'Connor's likely loss was proof Republicans and Trump--who is poised to be 14 for 14 in primary endorsements--were totally owned:

Doug Johnson wrote: "10.9 percent swing in a red gerrymandered district. Whistling past the graveyard #GOP?"

Lynne Charlotte wrote: "Looks like the ripple is in the win . . . . NOVEMBER HERE WE COME!"

Ulsterman wrote: "Tsunamis start off as a ripple, until they hit the shore. Enjoy this 'victory' for it will be short-lived!"

From the right, my mere questioning of the RNC's dopey spin made me a Democrat: a user named dbg wrote, "Keep crowing about your moral victories. Whatever makes you feel good. The fact that you'd want a Pelosi running the House is quite telling."

Others were more creative. It was the calendar's fault, said one.

ConservativeEsquire wrote: "People go on vacation in August. Republicans who live in suburbs go on vacation in August."

Still others blamed the media (of course they did).

Kevin Stuckey wrote, "I guess with 90 percent negative stories by your colleagues and censorship by social media it's probably a bigger win than your pea brain can admit."

For a few celebrities, it was all the fault of Green Party candidate Joe Manchik, whose 1,100 votes could have pushed O'Connor over the line:

Billy Eichner wrote: "Dear Green Party: Can you PLEASE wait to make your symbolic votes at a time when our government isn't being overrun by white supremacists??? Come @ me I don't care."

And Alyssa Milano seconded the motion: "You know what sucks? Because of our unwillingness to pass policy that protects our election integrity, I immediately think the Green Party votes tonight are Russian meddling. Why else would anyone cast a protest vote in Ohio when there's so much at stake?"

A pungent bouillabaisse of factors could have all contributed to Ohio's results. But it's still just a near tie--in one special election, in one district, in one state. Apparently, in 2018, that means definitively that my side is kicking your side's butt. Or just as easily, vice versa.

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S.E. Cupp is the host of S.E. Cupp Unfiltered on HLN.

Editorial on 08/13/2018

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