Mandate

"Figures don't lie, but liars do figure." -- Mark Twain.

By choosing which set of numbers to use and redefining the ways they are used, anyone can "prove" anything.

Selectivity in data can be misleading at best, and propaganda at worst.

   Republicans claim the recent election results gave them a mandate.
   But with a turnout of only one out of three voters, can it really be called a mandate? Moreover, a mandate to do what? To follow the path of obstructionism of the past few years? Or if the so-called mandate is an endorsement of a GOP program for progress, just what is that program?
   Second question: When two-thirds of the electorate don't bother to show up, what does that say about the absentees' attitude toward government and its performance? In brief, it speaks to the lack of confidence in the system.
   Pundits have been calling the results a "drubbing" of Democratic candidates, but that's not universally true. In Pennsylvania, a Democratic candidate for governor -- a business exec with no history of elected office -- defeated a Republican incumbent. And in New Jersey, the Democratic senator named in a special election practically walked his way to election for a full term.
   Statisticians speak of sample size in any poll, and when the sample is too small, they do not guarantee the accuracy of the conclusions. In this case, when only one-third of those eligible to vote even show up, and two-thirds fail to participate, that puts into question the validity of any conclusions.
   One conclusion would be that Republican victories were the result of conservative supporters of partisan politics showing up in greater numbers than moderates or liberals. Another conclusion could be that many potential voters were disillusioned with the political system and decided that it was pointless to participate in something that reeked of hypocrisy. A third factor to note is that mid-term elections typically attract fewer voters.
   Or as Archie Bunker once put it, "I save my vote for the really important ones, like the presidential, the senatorial, and the mayororial."
   Put another way, if you didn't vote, you can't complain about the results.