Narratology and Newspoll in the Dark City; or a Parable for Our Times

Let’s take a little look at how the “political narrative” works.

The beauty of Twitter, for poll watchers, is that a mysterious entity dubbed “Ghost Who Votes” somehow or other tweets the Newspoll figures before they’re released. Tomorrow’s poll, we are told, and the Ghost always speaks true, will show a recovery in Labor’s vote. We’re back at 52-48 in favour of the Coalition. Julia Gillard back in front of T. Abbott, MHR.

Yet, tonight, Lateline is apparently oblivious to the need to recompose the narrative. Labor was brutally defeated in Western Australia (Stephen Smith’s assessment was that the ALP had a good chance to rebuild, and indeed, had been exactly in the position it now is in at the election before Geoff Gallop won). Labor is on the ropes, etc. Brand damaged!

Maybe the Guest Tweeter is not chasing Ghosts.

Now, polls are not Truth. They’re a snapshot of the past, a past take on how a representative sample answered a hypothetical question – posed in terms of how people might vote were an election held today.

But they apparently are the key tropes of the Narrative.

It reminds me of Dark City. We’re all John Murdoch now. (Oh, the irony.)

So, as we launch into election year, let’s talk Narratology. There’s got to be a teleology, hasn’t there? It’s as if the cracks in the story, the switch points where everything might change, are erased before they can signify.

That’s me coming over all Deconstructionist.

Here’s a challenge. How could we tell this story otherwise? And what is the New New Narrative?