There are “dog whistles”; there are “dogs that don’t bark”; and of course there’s them “dawgs ‘t won’t hunt” — but what about Obama's "Deputy Dog" that goes out and gives an ominous warning about being frightened by things that go bump in the night or not being spooked by early exit polls on election day ?
Colin Campbell’s lead line “Be Calm and Carry On” oddly evokes the spirit of the Blitz, but it clashes with the main title of his 11/5/12 post in Politicker, “Obama Campaign to Supporters: Don’t Panic Over Early Exit Polls”. According to the Colin Campbell report, “In a conference call this afternoon, President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign had one central message for their supporters when Election Day arrives tomorrow: They should “keep calm,” even if they hear snippets of information favoring Republican Mitt Romney.”
Is the Obama campaign actually afraid that an early report of an unfavorable vote out of Dixville Notch might cause a mass rush to the exits and bomb shelters by its “Ground Game” volunteers? Probably not, but something is on their radar screen.
Colin Campbell quotes the President Obama’s Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter at some length, as follows: “My warning, we need to stay calm for much of the day.... We’ve already banked a pretty big portion of our vote.... Keep calm and tweet on.... So, no matter what you hear tomorrow about turnout in Republican counties or exit polls, particularly early in the day, please remember and remind your readers that, because of early votes, we’re where we need to be to win.... I don’t think there’s going to be official exits until the end of the day, but if things leak out that aren’t validated or weighted, please stay calm.”
“The fear, she explained, was early numbers leaking before voters have finished going to the polls, creating unnecessary panic and pessimism among Democrats,” was Campbell’s explanation for the Obama Campaign’s warning.
Others might say it betrays a certain skittishness.
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