Article: In politics, it's unwise to rely on `wisdom'

It's called conventional wisdom. But in the end it often turns out to be just conventional.

First, US Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was a shoo-in. Then he was in "the fight of his political life." Then he attacked and pulled ahead. Now he's facing potential debate disaster.

If the US Senate race is any example, the source of the ever-changing conventional wisdom in the political sphere is as uncertain as it is unreliable. Some simply attribute it to the incestuous interplay of the media and politicians who are no more sure of the truth than anyone else.

"The media creates little thought fads," said Ken Auletta, media columnist for the New Yorker magazine and author of a book about network ...

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