Today, words like “landslide” and “mandate” will be used with regularity. It’s true that the Electoral College was heavily in favor of the winning candidate but if you look more closely, that person won with less than 50% of the popular vote (meaning less than half of those who voted, voted for him). The overall popular vote was just 1.6% difference. (If that surprises you, it shows how the candidate and media have intentionally influenced you.) Less than 2% of the voters is not a landslide or a mandate.
What it is, is a reminder that statistics can tell any story that you want. As we enter this redux, hone your critical thinking skills and look beyond the headlines to ascertain the full story. What’s flying on the banner is just one tiny piece of it.
