John,

Ever read the book "How to Lie with Statistics?" by Darrell Huff.  In it,
you can learn how to use factual data to mislead the audience, or rather you
can learn how your source is attempting to mislead the audience but using
factual data to do so.

For example, did you know that there exists a statistically accurate, causal
relationship between ice cream sales and fatal snake bites?  It's true.  In
the areas where snake bite fatalities are highest, their occurence increases
in direct proportion with increased ice cream sales.  Suprisingly, this can
be explained by the fact that they are both summer activities in vacation
spots.

Also, as one pundit said not too long ago in response to the statement that
Bush had won almost 150% the number of states that Gore did, "Yeah, all the
ones with noone in them."

And I would think that an increase in population would also bring an
increase in crime, and polution, and all manner of bad things that only a
large number of people living in a small area could cause.

Of couse, for a long time there was "verifiable, scientific evidence" that
members of nonwhite races were inferior.  Care to take up that cause too?

Ugh,
Rs~

my opinions, blah, blah
Russ Smith, Systems Consultant
Problem Solved, Vacaville, CA
r s m i t h @ c u - h e l p . c o m
h p 3 k - l @ e - 3 0 0 0 . n e t

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Darnell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] Bush vs. Gore Election Statistics


> John,
>
> Please try to find a verifiable source for this.....
>
> People tend not to believe the NRA's numbers either, but those numbers are
> almost always taken from, and verifiable to, governmental agencies such as
> the FBI.
>
> -Dave
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 9:40 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: OT: Bush vs. Gore Election Statistics
> >
> >
> > Hey Listers,
> >
> > The below analysis may clear up the questions you have in your mind
> > regarding why we do what we do in this country to elect our
> > leaders.  And
> > also why we probably shouldn't change it!!
> >
> > Just my two cents' worth!!  The opinions expressed above are
> > wholly my own
> > and do NOT represent the opinions of my employer.  The
> > analysis below is
> > from the link shown and it's up to you to draw your own
> > conclusions from
> > it!!
> >
> > John Hornberger
> >
> > Here are a few interesting statistics from our breakdown map
> > of counties
> > won by George Bush and Albert Gore
> > (http://www.federalist.com/e2000.html)
> > as compiled by law professor Joseph Olson. The last item is,
> > perhaps, the
> > most telling.
> >
> > Counties won by Bush: 2,434
> > Counties won by Gore: 677
> >
> > Population of counties won by Bush: 143 million
> > Population of counties won by Gore: 127 million
> >
> > Square miles of country won by Bush: 2,427,000
> > Square miles of country won by Gore: 580,000
> >
> > States won by Bush: 29
> > States won by Gore: 19
> >
> > And now for the most remarkable finding....
> >
> > Average Murder per 100,000 residents in counties won by Bush: 0.1
> > Average Murder per 100,000 residents in counties won by Gore: 13.2
> >
> > The Federalist's crack staff of researchers found one more
> > interesting fact
> > that might help explain these disparate murder rates.  Gun
> > ownership in the
> > counties won by Mr. Bush is much higher than in the counties
> > won by Mr.
> > Gore!
> >
> > Considering the fact that the murder rate in "Gore Country"
> > is 130 times
> > higher than it is in "Bush Country," it comes as no surprise
> > that the Miami
> > Herald has found thus far, 445 votes from convicted felons in
> > the Florida
> > presidential election-almost all of them for Albert.
> > (Undoubtedly, this is
> > true for felons on death row....) Of note, the report only
> > reviewed 8% of
> > the state's voting records. Project that finding on the total
> > Florida vote
> > and one might deduce that almost 5,000 felons illegally voted
> > for Gore.
> >
>