Tumulter-sault

Jeffrey at Library Chronicles noted the latest round of Wimblehack 2004 from New York Press. Alas, there were no Lena Olin photos this time around, and, just as bad, I only went 50/50 on my picks.

It seems that, in spite of inspiring a new journalistic term, tumulter-sault (according to the article: the Tumulter-sault is a neat little literary device through which reporters refer to "details on the issues" without ever elaborating upon those actual details. The typical way the writer uses this one is to just slip it in, offhand-like, in between the more important details: "Candidate X, who boasts an impressive record on environmental issues, spent the weekend snowmobiling in Jackson Hole with a pair of one-armed Marine veterans..."), Karen Tumulty was upset by 4th seed Howard Fineman. Alas, Karen didn't file this week, resulting in the walkover. In the New York Times bracket, Elizabeth Bumiller knocked off James Bennet on the strength of her more elaborate Tumulter-sault, resulting in a Times/Newsweek death match that will take two whole weeks to decide.

Seriously, though, check out the entire article. Here's a sample paragraph:

Just think about how condescending this whole election process is: Big business takes away people's jobs, guts their public services, gives them two pro-corporate candidates to choose from in the election, and then hires a bunch of fawning mouthpieces to go on television and describe U the voter as a dumb savage who will vote for the first candidate who shows them a cuckoo clock or a shiny new penny. It's amazing that angry mobs don't round up people like Fineman and Matthews and chop their heads off on general principle.

Exactly.