Political News: Making a Statistician Out of YOU!
Posted in Politics by George
American politics today has gone so far from what the founding fathers desired. To be politically charged in the past was all about passionately advocating ideas and informing one’s self about the state of the nation. Today, people who watch the news on TV are plenty informed - about statistics.
When I turn on the news if I’m running on a treadmill or taking a break from studying - it’s always the same: “so-and-so has momentum here;” “this state is more likely to vote for a woman;” “study shows 56% of people like good candidates.”
I would wager today that a good chunk of the US population that claims they support a particular political candidate today has absolutely no idea why they do. This is because most Americans get their political news from the TV, and talk about the issues on TV is rare. You can go a full hour on CNN without actually hearing about what a candidate stands for, even though you know the percentage of independent voters that need to turn out in state Z for him to win.
And the debates are similar. The candidates vaguely dance around like they’re going to talk about something substantive but it always just ends up being a slugfest about whether or not someone is running a negative advertising campaign, is black, is female, is Mormon, “has experience,” etcetera. Sure, candidates will mention that they’re “pro-economy,” or “pro-middle class” or “religious,” but what does that entail? When will a candidate just step to the floor and give a cost-benefit analysis of his position? Tell me what you stand for - tell me why - and tell me how it will help the country. Is that too much to ask?
I’m sick of hearing about race, gender, sexual preference, and religion when it comes to selecting a presidential candidate. Bring me ideas - show me you are smart - be awesome! Is that too much to ask from a candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America?
