"McCain is helped in Colorado by men and Mormons."
FiveThirtyEight.com: Electoral Projections Done Right: Road to 270: Colorado
The sentence quoted above is why I love, love, love Nate Silver at Five Thirty Eight. I know it’s a small thing, but just take a moment consider the construction of that lone fragment — the three-M alliteration, for one, but also that passive voice. Remember what our English teachers used to say about the passive voice: “the writing appears,” they would say, “to convey information that is not limited or biased by individual perspectives or personal interests.” Exactly! Just the facts, ma’am, no bullshit — just how men and Mormoms like it! Savor the mental image presented to you. A floundering, helpless John McCain, struggling in the Centennial State against the tides of Hope and Change, when all of a sudden, the door is kicked in (passive voice again!), and in rush a gang of men and Mormons! Strapping, booze-slurping men; hardworking, bright-eyed Mormons! Muscular, sweaty men; pious, short-sleeved Mormoms! “The party’s over, hippies!” they yell. “This is Colorado! We’re here to help McCain!” Grrrr! Epic! Demographic vs. demographic!
