Friday, September 12, 2008

Keep your eye on the Methodology

Anyone discussing with me knows I harp on and on about methodology. Here is a great example as to why. Senator McCain was interviewed and said:

McCain: Of course, I think, overall, she's by far the best candidate. And, again, being governor with an 80 percent approval rating of America's largest state, I think, is a very significant plus.


Do you see the switch in methodology there? (Hint: Was Governor Palin approved by acreage?)
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3 comments:

  1. romanSeptember 15, 2008 5:29 PM

    You're right, of course, that the premise being offered is somewhat deceptive and employs a misleading use of methodology. But what else is new? This is a speech delivered by a career POLITICIAN.
    Not just that but she's by far the best candidate is even more of a laugh. We, Americans, never elect "the best". We elect only those individuals that have sold their souls, so to speak, to special interest groups who, in turn, prop these "candidates" up with expert campaign managers, strategists and financial backing.
    American politics is entertainment and the candidates are hand-picked on their public speaking ability and electability and as such we will never get the "best".
    Can anyone really and honestly state that McCain, Obama, Biden or Palin are the best this country has to offer? :-))

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  2. FlycandlerSeptember 16, 2008 12:00 PM

    This is driving me absolutely bonkers. It's 47th in population---the third smallest in the country, just ahead of North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming (insert joke here about Tad & Sarah Palin's attempts to rectify this).

    We heard this back in the aftermath of the 2000 debacle. "George W. Bush won the most counties." Counties don't vote. "George W. Bush won the most acreage." Land doesn't vote. "George W. Bush won 30 states to Al Gore's 20." States don't vote (not that way). I freely adapt this from the late, great Molly Ivins.

    This is almost as ridiculous as the "I can see the vast, uninhabited part of Russia if I fly 1200 miles from Juneau!" As someone commented, yes, she'll see the ICBMs soaring overhead en route to the rest of the country. Interesting fact: Juneau is roughly the same distance (give or take 200 mi) from Moscow (where the Russian government actually resides) as Wilmington, Delaware.

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  3. FlycandlerSeptember 16, 2008 12:01 PM

    And both Juneau and Wilmington are closer than either Chicago or Phoenix (though Illinois is closer than Arizona).

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