Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics... Fla edition

[mominatrix]

Rick Scott and Mitt Romney sound discordant notes on Florida's economy

By Mary Ellen Klas and Toluse Olorunnipa, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In Print: Monday, August 13, 2012


TALLAHASSEE — Numbers may not lie, but Republicans Mitt Romney and Rick Scott are using them to portray two very conflicting points of view about Florida's economic picture.

In a new television ad, the campaign of the Republican presidential candidate plays melancholy music as it describes "Obama's Florida" as a state with "8.6 percent unemployment, record foreclosures, 600,000 more Floridians in poverty."

The governor greets the same 8.6 percent unemployment number as a sign of rapid improvement, proclaiming on his website that it is "the lowest it's been since December 2008!"


article continues here:
www.tampabay.com/news/business/rick-scott-and-mitt-romney-sound-discordant-notes-on-floridas-economy/1245561

[Deleted]

Are we surprised?!?

[lys]

It is politics.
Dems are not any better --- most of what they are saying about Ryan's Medicare plan is nothing by lies, and more lies and damned distortions.

[lys]

Measuring cup is at 1/2 mark.
The cup is 1/2 full = true
The cup is 1/2 empty = true
How you use the facts do not change the fact that there is a specified amount in the cup.

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 11:08:51 GMT -5 lys said:

It is politics.
Dems are not any better --- most of what they are saying about Ryan's Medicare plan is nothing by lies, and more lies and damned distortions.

source?

[mominatrix]

Aug 14, 2012 11:08:51 GMT -5 lys said:

It is politics.
Dems are not any better --- most of what they are saying about Ryan's Medicare plan is nothing by lies, and more lies and damned distortions.

I know it's hard to believe, but the point I was trying to make with the post is that BOTH parties are engaging in spin and distortion. BOTH are taking the EXACT SAME STATISTIC and spinning it in their favor.

...shocking, I know.

But the amazing thing is that it's pretty rare when the exact same number is used in such dramatically different fashion. Oftentimes somebody will say something like, "the economy is shaping up!" while the other party says, "ooooh, the economy is baaaaad!"

Here's the same exact statistic, shunted both ways.