Lies, Statistics and Politics... Again

On the Indianapolis Star opinion page today (29 January, 2017) you can find a letter to the editor signed by all seven of the Indiana congresspersons. The fact that a state in which Republicans win statewide office with 50-57% of the vote has 78% Republican congressional representation is, in and of itself, a travesty... but that's not the point. No, the point is that the first paragraph of the letter says,

"Eight in 10 Americans believe we should significantly change or repeal Obamacare."

The letter then goes on (at some length) to explain that Republicans are nice people who don't want anyone to be sad and sure as heck don't want anyone to lose access to healthcare. They just don't like the Affordable Healthcare Act because... well, because it was passed by Democrats. Never mind that the majority of the pieces that make up the AHCA were originally Republican ideas or that it's based on "Romneycare" in Massachusetts: it was passed during a Democratic administration, so it's wrong. Let's go back and look at that first sentence: it doesn't say eight in ten Americans believe we should repeal Obamacare, it says "significantly change or repeal." That statement, which is a version of one made by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, has its basis in a Gallup poll conducted in November, 2016. Gallup's press release detailing the results includes the following:

"Whatever the exact course of action that ensues once Trump and the new Congress take office, it is clear that about eight in 10 Americans favor changing the ACA significantly (43 percent) or replacing it altogether (37 percent)." This data is based on a survey conducted on Nov. 9 to Nov. 13, 2016."

Oops: does that mean that Indiana's congressional cadre is lying to us? Yes, it probably does... does that surprise you? It doesn't surprise me.

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