Fun Size Bytes

potjie:

tedjseverson:

moltz:

potjie:

Now that healthcare is done, maybe education. Perhaps start with math.

Whaaaaaaaa?

In fairness, there could be a large block of unreported undecideds, thus making 41% the plurality winner. But either way, that’s still sloppy reporting.

OK, fair enough. To close the loop, full numbers:

41% went too far

24% not far enough

18% just right

14% shouldn’t have done anything

I read that as 83% thought healthcare needed to change but disagreed on how. 14% wanted status quo.

But no matter how you read it, still a horrible headline for this completely unscientific poll of people wo happened to answer the phone this afternoon.

…

JANE
Listen, a Liberty Foundation poll’s about to come out…

JOSH
A poll!?

JANE
68% say we spend too much on foreign aid. 59% want foreign aid cut.

[later]

JOSH
So, if we’re lucky, foreign aid’s going to be funded for another 90 days at 75 cents on the dollar. No one who’s ever said they wanted bipartisanship has ever meant it. But the people are speaking. Because 68% think we give too much in foreign aid, and 59% think it should be cut.

WILL
You like that stat?

JOSH
I do.

WILL
Why?

JOSH
Because 9% think it’s too high, and shouldn’t be cut! 9% of respondents could not fully get their arms around the question. There should be another box you can check for, “I have utterly no idea what you’re talking about. Please, God, don’t ask for my input.”

West Wing episode “Guns, Not Butter”

Transcripts from http://communicationsoffice.tripod.com/4-12.txt

I know I’m probably Toby, but I like to think I’m Josh.

(Actually I’m probably the guy who sweeps up after they’ve left for the day, but it’s my fantasy world, so let me have this.)