Last week Republicans opened up the biggest generic ballot lead in Gallup history; this week they're tied with the Democrats again. Steve Benen points out that poll last week was presented as "iron-clad evidence, we were told, of impending Democratic doom."
Wouldn't you know it, a week later, that massive, unprecedented, world-changing lead Republicans enjoyed is gone. The new Gallup numbers show the GOP losing five points and Dems gaining five points, leaving the parties tied at 46%. Is there any coherent rationale to explain a 10-point swing in Dems' favor over the last week? Of course not.
What happened with Gallup's polling? I'm not sure. But there are two reasons why reporters and commentators pounced on the story. One was that it fits with the larger trend of numbers indicating Democratic peril heading into November; the other is that the folks Democrats pay to spin the press bought it, too.
