Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call media bias. From a Waynesville Mountaineer news story about political races in Western NC and the fact that campaign cash did not determine outcomes:

Joe Sam Queen, a one-term incumbent state senator, … [failed] to translate a four-to-one advantage in campaign funding into success at the polls.

The Democrat from Waynesville, a popular figure in Western North Carolina despite his relatively short stint in Raleigh, spent about $398,000 during the 2004 election cycle, attempting to retain his seat in the state legislature representing the 47th District.

… Keith Presnell, Queen?s Republican challenger, spent about $110,000 ? most of which he received from political party committees (only $13,400 of $145,000 raised came from individual donors).

The state GOP contributed more than $100,000 to the Presnell campaign, while other political action committees and other candidates added more than $23,000 to his $148,000 total.

But, to the surprise of many, Presnell defeated Queen by nearly 3,700 votes ? perhaps overcoming the huge financial difference through the use of negative advertising attacking his opponent?s Senate voting record.

Hmmm. So Queen was a ?popular figure? who, to the ?surprise of many,? was defeated fairly easily (3,700 votes is not a squeaker in a state senate race) by a former county-commission chairman who spent a small fraction of Queen?s total. Presnell must have campaigned dirty.