1. Tabloid prints trash story about presidential candidate, deep inside, not even teased off the cover
2. Elite media pretends to ignore trash story but secretly makes inquiries
3. Local TV news station asks candidate about trash story
4. Later, Elite media's editors tell field reporters it's ok to ask candidate about trash story because he's already been asked about it
5. Elite media asks about trash story
6. Candidate answers
7. Elite media runs the story on the pretext that the denial has made the story legitimate
8. Elite media looks for different angles to justify running the story
9. Conservative blog runs headline linking to original tabloid trashy story after candidate pulls ahead in Iowa polls
10. Blogosphere picks up on story
11. Tabloid prints same trashy story but this time on front page
12. Process repeats itself continuing negative rumors and speculation about candidate
13. Voters begin to have doubts about supporting candidate even though original story claims unsubstantiated
14. Candidate drops out of lead in polls and doesn't do well in primary
15. Candidate pulls out of race
16. Somewhere Carl Rove is laughing
variation on original blog post at atlantic.com
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