Politifact responds to Rachel Maddow

[Enrique]

Politico isn't buying it, and neither am I.

Here's the link to Rachel's video, which is excellent: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-rachel-maddow-show/46391522

Here's Politifact's response:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/02/politifact-responds-to-rachel-maddows-attack-114542.html

Rachel Maddow made yet another stinging attack on PolitiFact last night, calling the Tampa Bay Times' fact-checking project "a disaster" (see video).

Via email, PolitiFact editor and Tampa Bay Times Washington bureau chief Bill Adair responds to the criticism:

Our goal at PolitiFact is to use the Truth-O-Meter to show the relative accuracy of a political claim. In this case, we rated it Mostly True because we felt that while the number was short of a majority, it was still a plurality. Forty percent of Americans consider themselves conservative, 35 percent moderate and 21 percent liberal. It wasn't quite a majority, but was close.

We don't expect our readers to agree with every ruling we make. We have published nearly 5,000 Truth-O-Meter ratings and it's natural that anyone can find some they disagree with. But even if you don't agree with every call we make, our research and analysis helps you sort out what's true in the political discourse.

Unfortunately, Adair's defense serves to prove Maddow's point and negate his own.

In the statement in question, Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the majority of Americans were conservatives. In his statement, Adair admits that "the number was short of a majority." Yet PolitiFact arrives at the conclusion that Rubio's statement is "Mostly True."

"It wasn't quite a majority, but was close," Adair writes in his email.

So Rubio's statement isn't true. It's false.

[annabanana]

1. PolitiFact = irrelevent . . . . .n/t

[deadinsider]

2. 2+2=5. Politifact Truth-O-Meter says... Mostly True

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. How is 40% a "plurality"?

56% (independent + liberal) describe themselves as something else other than "conservative".

Last I checked, 56%>40%

Am I missing something????

Does Politifact believe that "Independents" are also "conservative" by nature?

[DavidDvorkin]

5. At 40%, it's the largest of the three groups

Therefore, it's a plurality.

They didn't say majority.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. I get it

Politifact is still stupid.

[FarLeftFist]

8. Yeah but Rubio said "majority". Shouldn't they be sticking to facts?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Yeah

I don't remember HIM talking about a "plurality". Politifact seemingly used "plurality" in order to make his claim "Mostly True"! Good catch FLF!

Epic "PoltiFAIL!"

[FarLeftFist]

4. I rate Politifact "mostly hilarious".

Shouldn't they be sticking to FACTS. Take Rubio's statement as said literally, not make assumptions about what he meant.

[librechik]

7. look, folks who identify as conservative don't have a clue what issues they are supposely backing

Polls on the issues consistently show Americans center left, not center right. Pro-Choice about 60 %, against the Bush tax cuts about 55%, for gay marriage about 50%, tax the rich 85%, pro medicare for all about 70%, Pro contraception about 75%. And on and on.

I don't think there really are any winning "conservative" issues except for smaller government, which actually is the number one attribute of Classical Liberalism.

Words like conservative and liberal (applied to persons) are fairly useless when it's not specified what the labels mean in the poll.

[baldguy]

14. The majority are liberal, they just don't know it.

Because of propagandists like Politifact.

[The Magistrate]

9. A Majority Are Not Conservative, Mr. Adair

Sixty percent are not conservative, and if something breaks 60 v 40 that is generally considered pretty decisive against the forty....

[rocktivity]

10. That's what kills me about them -- they ADMIT they were wrong but don't care!

Last edited Sat Sep 6, 2014, 08:53 PM - Edit history (3)

...(W)hile the number was short of a majority, it was still a plurality. Forty percent of Americans consider themselves conservative, 35 percent moderate and 21 percent liberal. It wasn't quite a majority, but was close.

If their rating had been "Half True," I'd gladly accept that explanation. But as they themselves just explained, there's no way it can be "Mostly True."

Here's another example -- also, coincidentally, from a Rubio statement: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=10165


rocktivity

[joeybee12]

12. 5 isn't 6, but it's close...so apparently it's true...nt

[hvn_nbr_2]

13. The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl!!! Mostly true!!!

Okay, it's not really true. They didn't score the most points, but it was close.

I think we should have a poll to choose the most appropriate new name for Politifact. Some possibilities:
Politifarce
Politifake
Politifukkt
Politifroth
Politisantorum
Politifalse
Politifable
Politifacetious
Politifudge
Politifail
Politifantasy
PolitiFastAndLoose
Politifatuous
Politifaux
Politifib
Politifiction
PolitiPantsOnFire
Politifishy
Politiflake
Politifraud
Politiflotsam
Politiflunk
Politifumble

[rocktivity]

15. Politi-RelativeAccuracy

Because Absolute Accuracy Has A Liberal Bias


rocktivity

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. The MAJORITY (35+21=56%) are liberal or moderate

The MINORITY (40%) consider themselves conservative.

Are they fucking joking with this? The "plurality." It's a ludicrous counterargument. The majority are NOT conservative, period. Saying the majority are conservative is flat-out FALSE, not "mostly true."

56% are NOT conservative.

End of discussion.