Good job, Deseret News! Another misleading headline of yours, another dollar. This has happened with such frequency, that a more cynical person than myself might start to believe that the Deseret News intentionally uses manipulatively provocative headlines to lure in readers. Oh, what ever happened to innocence?
The 4th most popular story on the Deseret News* this morning was “Romney Bests Obama.” That’s it. The Mormon Bests the President. This headline was written that way to instill a little bit of curiosity in your mouse finger, thus prompting you to click on the headline. And you know what? I took the bait. My mouse finger clicked on the fucking headline.
All right, let’s read a story about Mitt Romney becoming the 45th president of the United States!!!!! Here are the first two sentences of the article:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry would beat former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a head-to-head contest for the GOP nomination, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll released today. But the results show Perry would lose to Obama in the general election, whereas Romney would win.
In summary, Rick Perry would beat Mitt Romney… and Barack Obama would beat Rick Perry.
Or to put this in mathematical terms: Barack Obama > Rick Perry > Mitt Romney
Yes, the USA Today/Gallup Poll shows that Romney would beat Obama in the general election… if he makes it that far. But that’s just 1/3 of our hypothetical scenario that may or may not exist in an alternative universe. Nevertheless, the Deseret News used “Romney Bests Obama” when they could have just as easily written:
- “Obama Bests Perry”
- “Perry Bests Romney”
*Official slogan: Have you done your home teaching yet?