The poet William Stafford set himself the task of writing a poem a day. When someone asked him what he would do when his poem-of-the-day wasn't very good, he replied "I simply lower my standards." In order to increase output, the bar here is set at a low level - the point of this is to have some fun with current events and politics. I welcome contributions and comments. Now you can also follow Doggerelo on Twitter (@doggerelo). Because of continuing medical problems, I'm no longer able to post a poem-a-day. I'll continue to post poems, but at a reduced frequency, so please stay tuned.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Mitt's Snake Oil

Mitt Romney, and other Republicans, are trying to establish a narrative suggesting that Obama’s policies have been bad for women.  They claim that more than 92% of the job losses during Obama’s tenure have been women’s jobs.  Many fact checking sites have reported that this figure simply reflects the fact that women’s job losses were delayed compared to men’s, with the bulk of men’s job losses occurring before Obama took office (chart below).  See here, and here, for example.  You’d think that a smart guy like Romney wouldn’t stoop to using such a statistically sleazy approach to boost his campaign, but maybe I’m overestimating him. 

Mitt Romney is selling snake oil these days
He’s using some numbers in misleading ways
To say that women have lost more than guys
In jobs due to actions Obama devised.
He’s using statistical legerdemain
To muster support for his flagging campaign.
You’d think that a businessman’d have more respect
For numbers than t'use them in ways so suspect.
Now other Republicans start to chime in
Employing Mitt’s same old discredited spin.
They must think that women really are dumb
To this false, meretricious spiel to succumb.
It’s as funny as many old British farces
To see them talk blithely out of their arses.


From New York Times, April 12, 2012



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