Lies, Danm Lies, Statistics And The Salt Lake Tribune.

Mark Twain is credited with saying, "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics!".  I haven't gone in search of the exact quote, and since I'm just alleging it, not asserting it, I'll go with the folk lore.

But I do know this.  When I was getting a Sociology degree at the University of Utah in the very late 1970's, and wanted a Minor in Psychology I was required to take Statistics from BOTH of those colleges (well, courses of study within the COLLEGE of Behavioral Science).  It was pretty much the same, exact course.  So taking it again was total bullshit, and only made you pay for the same hours over again.

And it wasn't a hard course.  It was basic math, some minor algebra.  Know the difference between the mode, the median and the mean.  Simple stuff.  Yes I passed it BOTH times.  I KNOW about statistics, and how they work.  Surveys, polls, leading questions, the whole lot.  You cannot pull the wool over my eyes with some bullshit, "Faux News" survey, or right wing poll.  I'm not an expert, but I AM willing to bet I've had TWO more stat's classes at a University, than YOU!  OK?

Well, this morning, I'm wondering if anyone at the Salt Lake Tribune ever took a, "stats" class.  Because the above the fold, HEAD LINE is totally skewed (Tribune, editors?  That's a, "stats" term.  Look it up).  "1 in 5 Dems unsure on Obama".

Then the article starts with the sentence, "Most Democrats want to re-elect President Barack Obama, but one in five of of his party's supporters remain uncertain about keeping him in the White house,..."

Really?  One in FIVE are uncertain about keeping him in the White House.  Well, as someone who's actually conversant in STATISTICS, I would have to say that should have read, "FOUR OUT OF FIVE, OR 80% OF ALL DEMOCRATS APPROVE OF KEEPING BARACK OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR FOUR, MORE, YEARS!"

And underneath it, it should have read, "live with it, Bitches!"

Sometimes, the Trib, which is usually the voice of reason in this state, seems to wake up and remember it lives in Utah.  But forgets it has no competition.  And tries to pander to a local audience.

Give it up, Trib.  The Mormon's WON'T read you, the Republicans can't stand that you tell the truth, so they go with that  OTHER, "newspaper", and I use the term loosely.  You can't win.  Just stick with the truth.

One in five people who actually went to college and buy their books somewhere other than, Costco (and buy books at ALL) didn't fall for that dumb headline.  What were you thinking?