Things I Don't Get (III): "Swing Votes"

While I understand the importance of being familiar with demographics, I'v e found CNN and other media outlets' obsession with the constant parsing of voter groups (women over 65, black men with one job, white men with three nipples, etc.) to be a bit excessive and frenetic. My biggest problem with this parsing is, it's led everybody to be a "key voting bloc" in the primaries. The Jewish community is the "cornerstone" of the democratic party; all we heard about in January and February is how voters over 65 would be essential in determining the outcome of the democratic primaries; last night, I saw a report saying how, although only 6% of voters are Latinos, "they could determine the election"; even white men are being called "a key swing constituency".

If every possible combination of parsed demographies is a "key swing constituency," doesn't that kind of destroy the notion of a "key swing constituency?" It seems that, if every constituency is going to determine the election, then (hold on to your seat) when you vote, not only will it count; it will help determine the outcome!!! Shocking!!!!!!!

Yet the media doesn't seem to get this implication. It would be nice if somebody would just look into the camera, or write on the internet or a newspaper, and simply say, "Look, you know what? No matter who you are, your vote matters, and will help determine the outcome of elections, so get out and vote!"