What Happened on Tuesday?

Well, Barack Obama was re-elected President in pretty convincing fashion.  His victory surprised many, including challenger Mitt Romney.  The explanation for this incredulity has been described in recent days as the "GOP's media cocoon."  But there were pollsters, including Nate Silver, who accurately predicted the incumbent's win.

I was exclusively informed on election night by the staff of ABC's telecast, including Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos.  (What can I say?  Yes, I'm an ABC devotee).  Starting the following morning, I gathered additional information about the results of last week's vote through reading articles online, watching analyses on TV, listening to the radio, and discussing the outcome with friends and acquaintances, chiefly the politically involved, lefty members of my book club.

The general explanation for Gov. Romney's loss is that the GOP has lost touch with who comprises the electorate.  That is, it has failed to notice important demographic changes and missed opportunities to capture the votes of Latinos/as and other people of color, young people and women, particularly unmarried women.  Today on "The View" a thoughtful(!) Newt Gingrich said, "I think we (the GOP) fundamentally misunderstood the American people."  He went on to explain that "The Republican doctrine of highly paid consultants spending millions of dollars in 30 second ads doesn't build a party."  He offered a strategy for the GOP going forward: "The Republican Party better rethink in 2013 how we're gonna deal with the country's issues and do it in a way that the average American looks up and says, 'You know, those are the folks I'm willing to trust with my future.'"

I'm not sure what I don't know about the election.  I think human beings intuitively tend to search for confirming evidence, seeking out and/or attending to information that "fits" with their own world views.  This is the place where the "media cocoon" lives for the Republicans.  I suppose some similar force is at work in my life, but this time the information I received was more accurate.