Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Mark Barrett has an interesting post up about the new Quinnipiac poll that the blogosphere and the teevee pundits can't stop talking about.

I've checked out of the conversation for pretty much the reasons Mark details, and for a few of my own. Once again we are talking popularity contest rather than where any of these people stand on the issues. Or what any of them might have actually done in their lives that might make a person want put them in charge of the country. What kind of people are they? Are they honest? Do they live the life they like to talk about? Are their children well-adjusted and productive human beings? What matters to them?

Silly me.

This is only the second cycle to which I've paid careful attention, and here's what I've learned so far:

a.) Presidential beauty contests can - and do - turn on a dime. Up one day, down the next. Or, vice versa.

b.) The talking heads will attempt to create their own desired narrative, facts or morality or the country's future be damned. But we can ignore them.

c.) Politics ain't beanbag is the oldest cliche in the book, but now I know why it's endured for so long.

I guess it's naive to expect things to be any different, but we can choose not to play along.

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