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Cook Political Report shifts Minnesota Senate race rating to Lean Democrat

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly right-leaning (67%).

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

The Cook Political Report has moved its rating of Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate race from Likely Democrat to Lean Democrat, according to The Center Square and the Guardian. The Washington Examiner and The Center Square report that the seat, being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith, is contested by Republican Michele Tafoya and Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The Washington Examiner says Tafoya has narrowed the gap to an average of about 2 points, within the margin of error. The Guardian reports that a fraud scandal has cut Flanagan’s poll lead. Tafoya has called Flanagan a “rubber stamp” for a “far-left socialist agenda,” and Flanagan has said Tafoya is lockstep with President Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The Cook Political Report has shifted its rating of the Minnesota Senate race from Likely Democrat to Lean Democrat.

    Reported byLeft1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Right
    Washington Examiner, The Center Square

  2. Republican Michele Tafoya and Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are the candidates in the race for the Minnesota seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith.

    Reported byLeft1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Right
    Washington Examiner, The Center Square

  3. The Washington Examiner reports that Tafoya has narrowed the gap with Flanagan to an average of about 2 points, within the margin of error.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

  4. The Guardian reports that a fraud scandal has cut Flanagan’s poll lead.

    One outletThe Guardian· Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present reports the Cook rating shift and a close race between Republican Michele Tafoya and Democrat Peggy Flanagan. The right stresses a Republican opening in a Democratic state, the left a Democratic seat at risk from a fraud scandal.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Headlines frame the race as a question of whether Democrats could lose a seat they usually hold, stressing the surprise and the fraud scandal.

    In reliably blue Minnesota, could Democrats do the unthinkable and lose a Senate seat?
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    2 outlets

    Headlines present the race as a Republican opening in a Democratic state, with the rating shift and Tafoya’s momentum as the main news.

    Cook Report shifts Minnesota U.S. Senate race in favor of Republican
    The Center SquareRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right1

    painful Election Day

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    painful Election DayMore neutral: an Election Day that polls suggest will cost Republicans seats

    Calls the Election Day painful for Republicans, a judgement about the expected result rather than a plain description.

    A race that’s increasingly defying the national conensus of a painful Election Day for Republicans is emerging in an unlikely place: the Democratic stronghold of…

    Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

Words quoted from someone else (2)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    rubber stampMore neutral: approved or confirmed

    Declares deliberation fake.

    “Peggy Flanagan will be a rubber stamp for the far-left socialist agenda,” Tafoya said on Wednesday.

    Quoted byThe Center Square (Right)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    far-left socialist agendaMore neutral: progressive policy agenda

    Attaches a political label to Flanagan’s agenda that pre-judges it, as spoken by the candidate.

    “Peggy Flanagan will be a rubber stamp for the far-left socialist agenda,” Tafoya said on Wednesday.

    Quoted byThe Center Square (Right)

    These are Michele Tafoya’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Democrats losing a usually safe seat
  • Flanagan’s narrowing poll lead
  • Fraud scandal weighing on Democrats
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The GuardianLeft

    In reliably blue Minnesota, could Democrats do the unthinkable and lose a Senate seat?

    Frustration with a sprawling fraud scandal has cut Peggy Flanagan’s poll lead – could ex-NFL reporter Michele Tafoya win a first statewide election for Republicans in 20 years? …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Republican opening in a Democratic state
  • Cook rating change favoring Republicans
  • Tafoya’s momentum against Flanagan
See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Center SquareRight

    Cook Report shifts Minnesota U.S. Senate race in favor of Republican

    (The Center Square) – With less than two weeks until Election Day, the Minnesota U.S. Senate race has shifted in favor of Republican and former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya.

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    The Senate GOP’s midterm lifeline lies in an unlikely place

    A race that’s increasingly defying the national conensus of a Sensational language“painful Election Day”Calls the Election Day painful for Republicans, a judgement about the expected result rather than a plain description.More neutral: an Election Day that polls suggest will cost Republicans seatsDisagree with this highlight? for Republicans is emerging in an unlikely place: the Democratic stronghold of Minnesota. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 min later

    Its first report, Oct 22, 6:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    Washington Examiner, Oct 22, 6:00 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Washington ExaminerRightOct 22, 6:00 AM EDT
  2. The GuardianLeftOct 22, 6:00 AM EDT
  3. The Center SquareRightOct 22, 12:35 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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