Barack Obama, in order to soften the blow of Hillary Clinton’s probable Pennsylvania win, has released some negative ads and coupled them with fightin’ words. The story is interesting, if predictable.

What’s funny is that The Washington Post and the New York Times are essentially running the same headline for this story right now on their respective Web sites.

Post: “In Pa., Obama Sharpens His Tone”

Times: “Trailing in Pennsylvania, Obama Sharpens Tone”

Headlines often do a great job of dumbing down stories and reporters can occasionally feel like their piece’s value is demeaned by a “Hillary Demands More Doughnuts” or “Obama: Highfalutin Speech, Lowfalultin Bowling Score”-style headline.

These two newspapers, though, have literally chosen the same verb and direct object to describe Obama’s nefarious plot to bridge the polling gap. Maybe it’s not sensationalism, but it is a demonstration of how some media pigeonhole stories. If they published these headlines independent of each other, that’s just bizarre proof of verbal tunnel vision. If it’s no coincidence, then shame on some anonymous, late-shift, copycat copy editor.

I suppose the Times deserves some credit for tossing the pronoun. And, of course, you have to applaud the Post for an effective, albeit unpretty, abbreviation.

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