The results of the election aren’t in yet, but the battle to frame them is already well underway.

If Mitt Romney loses the election, moderate forces within the Republican Party will argue that it was because Tea Party extremists moved him too far to the right during the primaries, and the media will amplify those voices. In contrast, if Romney wins, it will be framed as a triumph of his moderation and used to argue that he should abandon conservatives and govern as a liberal if elected.