Are Democrats laying the groundwork to explain 2014 losses?

last updated 8 January 2015

In a development that might not bode well for their electoral prospects, Democrats appear to be pushing news stories selectively framing their 2014 losses — some seven months out from Election Day.

On Saturday, The New York Times ran an article strongly implying Republicans are attempting to disenfranchise African-American voters in "pivotal swing states." Two days later, the AP ran a story suggesting that gerrymandering explains the Republican advantage.

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First, pace Touré gerrymanding couldn't explain why Republicans are poised to take the Senate. Second, there's reason to believe people are self-segregating along ideological lines. None of this matters, of course — not when there's an imminent loss to be pre-emptively explained. And that's just what's happening. According to a press release, later today, the the DNC "will hold a press conference call on the Sunday New York Times story detailing the Republican Party's attempts to limit voting rights in specific states."

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Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.

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