Love hurts, but Storyline can destroy!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Let's take one more look at the record: Love hurts—or at least, that's what songwriter Boudleaux Bryant alleged in his hit song of that name.

First, the Everly Brothers recorded it. Years later, along came Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. As a result, people have believed Bryant's irresponsible claim for a great many years.

That said, if love can occasionally hurt, Storyline can destroy. This year, pundits are tending to adopt the claim that Candidate Trump won in a rout—that this year's presidential election "wasn't even close."

They're doing so, even today, as the winning candidate's nationwide victory margin is about to dip below two points—as his share of the nationwide popular vote threatens to drop below 50 percent. 

Just so you'll know:

In the three Blue Wall states, it was even closer! If Candidate Harris had won these three states, she'd be on her way to four years as a pinata locked inside the White House.

Statewide vote, Pennsylvania, 2024
Candidate Trump: 3,526,621 (50.4%)
Candidate Harris: 3,396,037 (48.6%)

Statewide vote, Michigan, 2024
Candidate Trump: 2,812,957 (49.7%)
Candidate Harris: 2,733,389 (48.3%)

Statewide vote, Wisconsin, 2024
Candidate Trump: 1,697,769 (49.6%)
Candidate Harris: 1,668,082 (48.8%)

It isn't that Trump didn't win those states, because of course he did. Also, he did win the nationwide popular vote—almost surely, by less than two points.

That said, it seems to us that those state elections were close—that those margins were rather narrow. Trump won Wisconsin by less than one point. Can we at least say Wisconsin was close?)

We're puzzled by the widespread suggestions that Candidate Trump won in some sort of a rout. And by the way, Candidate Trump had been running for years. Candidate Harris didn't even know she was running until late July of this year.

Many pundits are finding ways to treat this outcome as something it pretty much wasn't. In fairness, many pundits only feel happy and safe when they're part of a group recitation, preferably one that is wrong.

We don't know why we the people are inclined to behave in such ways. But we think you should make the occasional attempt to shove Storyline down the stairs.

This may not matter anymore. As a rough beast slouches toward the deep state, it may be too late for that.

But did the candidate win in a rout? We humans seem to be wired to make strange claims, and it's also become a big business.