A Perfect Example of the Right's Epistemic Closure

Karl Rove's meltdown on Fox last night was wonderful for those of us who can't resist a little schadenfreude for the right.  Right after the Fox News desk called Ohio for Obama, ending the drama, Rove reignited it by insisting that in fact Ohio was not definitely in Obama's column- this dispute was aired live on the station.

It seems to me that you have a great example of what has happened to the conservative mind.  Dick Morris succumbed to it too- they live so completely in their bubble that they can't conceive that their conventional wisdom is wrong, and it no amount of data will change their minds.

Two other examples:

• Climate change, which is basically a settled scientific issue, is just not believed by the Right. It doesn't matter how many studies there are, or how many record heat waves, or how many extreme weather events, the entire mainstream right now denies that climate change is real.
• The belief that tax cuts pay for themselves, the so-called Laffer Theory, continues in many corners in spite of all evidence.
• When Reagan/Bush I/Clinton raised taxes to balance the budget, the economy nevertheless boomed.  When Bush II cut taxes to spur growth, nothing of the kind happened.  There is zero evidence to suggest that minor changes in marginal tax rates strongly affects economic growth.  Nevertheless, the right persists in believing that another round of tax cuts will do the trick.

Epistemic Closure.  They just can't believe anything that doesn't meet their preconceived notions.  If these guys ever manage to take power again, I'm not very optimistic about their ability to be analytical.

UPDATE: The Romney campaign itself was locked in this same epistemic closure.  This report notes how shocked the main players all were- didn't they bother reading the independent polling?