March 23, 2010
tj:

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?
JOSHBecause 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.)

More than anything else, this makes me miss The West Wing.

tj:

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.)

More than anything else, this makes me miss The West Wing.

  1. coty reblogged this from tj and added:
    More than anything else, this makes me miss The West Wing.
  2. clapifyoulikeme reblogged this from tj and added:
    WW ARB FTW. (I speak in acronyms.)
  3. tj reblogged this from potjie and added:
    … JANE Listen, a Liberty Foundation poll’s about to come out… JOSH A poll!? JANE 68% say we spend too much on foreign...
  4. tedfromtheinternet reblogged this from potjie and added:
    Ding ding ding! Haha. Yes. And 42% think action against the status-quo to some degree is good. However, there is still...
  5. incorrigiblerobot said: Guys, 42% thought it was just right or not far enough. “Most people” is simply wrong, plurality or not.
  6. potjie reblogged this from tedfromtheinternet and added:
    OK, fair enough. To close the loop, full numbers: 41% went too far 24% not far enough 18% just right 14% shouldn’t have...
  7. incorrigiblerobot reblogged this from potjie and added:
    Whaaaaaaaa?
  8. potjie posted this