As usual statistics do not lie, but they can be manipulated! I have an undergrad in psych, and a masters degree which both required me to eat, live, sleep, and breathe statistics for 6 years straight. Here's an example of the numbers in relationship to child insurance - Texas is a border state. How many illegal immigrants come into Texas and set up housing somewhere and go unnoticed by anyone? Then one day their child gets sick, and they take him or her to the local hospital --- where, it turns out, the child has no health insurance. Of course he doesn't - his family is living here illegally which makes it pretty hard to have insurance. So the stats are correct when they read 1st w/out child health insurance - but they have been manipulated by not revealing the whole truth. Just rattling off a statistic here and there is pointless unless you know all the factors. It's like judging a book by its cover - the title may sound great and wonderful, but the material behind it may suck.
Here's another point...who is producing these statistics? Last I checked there was no National Truth in Statistics Board that published unbiased stats on every topic. Everyone has an agenda - depending on that agenda is the way the stats will read. Who paid for the research? Who will gain from it? Many times education proponents who need more money for whatever purpose will not just say "we need 10 more classrooms" - that may get them the $$$ they need but no more. So instead they'll say "15% of our children have to stand up in class because there aren't enough chairs for them." And then we all ooh-and-ahh over this tragedy (of course - who wants our kids standing up). But then when you look into it, you may see that the 15% doesn't just include one school, or district, or even county. For all we know it could include an entire state, which would be true to the stats (but not necessarily that the kids in my county are standing up). So then our local taxes go up to pay for something that may not truly be affecting us (on the local level).
So you have to know the whole story before you can be swayed by statistics. Have your opinion - but it should be an educated one that has formed as a result of knowing the issues and how they will affect you and your community personally.
As far as the election goes - I think it says a lot that Al had already conceded to George, and then recanted. I will say that regardless of the winner, I am anxiously awaiting the Constitutional Amendment that will abolish the Electoral College. I have never met anyone who approved of our current process, and would be happy to hear from anyone that does. I think it should be the popular vote. The voice of the people.
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