May, Schmay, Might, Schmight… Could, Schmould? But You Get the Idea

I shouldn’t be saying bad things about the MSM; my livelihood depends in part on their interest in what I have to say. Still, this Newsweek headline:

Murkowski May Launch Write-In Bid, but It Might Not Change Election's Outcome

is pretty obscene. Yes, and:

“The Cow May Jump over the Moon, but the Fork Might Not Run Away with the Spoon…

A more honest headline would read:

I Don’t Know If Murkowsky Will Launch a Write-In Bid, and I Don’t Know If She’ll Win If She Does

One of my favorite putdowns is that “it’s not even wrong.” This one doubles down with a may-might compound hedge.