Daily Show last night

[dewey]

Does anyone watch this?
I stay up every night for it.
Anyway - last night Stewart made some republican stooge look like a total idiot. The guy said that Kerry and Edwards are the "1st and 4th ranked most liberal congressmen". Stewart kept asking who ranked them that. The guy just keeps saying "groups". And Stewart says "What groups?" and of course he doesn't have an answer, because it is a make-believe stat. It was priceless.
It's actually high quality interviewing while being hilarious.

Best programming on television right now.

[tuffy109]

Originally posted by dewey


Best programming on television right now.

and the funniest.

[supercow]

Originally posted by dewey
because it is a make-believe stat.


ahem

http://voteview.uh.edu/sen108.htm

http://voteview.uh.edu/dwnl.htm

http://acuratings.com/acu.cgi?ACT=1&USER_ID=2826&YEAR=2003

http://acuratings.com/acu.cgi?ACT=1&USER_ID=2805&YEAR=2003

http://acuratings.com/acu.cgi?ACT=1&USER_ID=275&YEAR=2000


http://www.conservative.org/new_ratings/1984/hse_utwy.html cheney's 1984 voting record of 90% is at the bottom

the point is it actually isn't a make belive stat and that senators and representatives use these ratings from interest groups to either garner support for themselves or to demonize their opponents. And it isn't only the American Conservative Union that has rankings the ACLU has ratings which I couldn't find but I know they're out there and I'm sure Kerry and Edwards are to the top of that list while W and Co. are at the bottom. Whether or not you're at the top or bottom of the list depends on who's grading you but belive me that interest groups really do care about how each represetative and senator is voting because thats how they decide whether or not to give a contribution to that person come November


Jon Stewart is the man though

[Dexter Rutecki]

You've missed the point. Arbitrarily labeling a vote as 'liberal' is meaningless, and that's what Stewart was getting at, without really saying so (I saw the end of that interview).
For some reason, for example, the Republican groups will call a vote against the late-term abortion ban 'liberal', but true conservatives (who are against restrictive federal laws that curtail individual freedoms) would actually vote the same as a so-called liberal on that issue. Same as a vote for the defense of marriage act would be opposed by many conservatives, as it is a vote against states' rights in favor of a more intrusive federal government.
The conservative groups who jigger this stuff to make Kerry look like Trotsky, when he's really just a centrist, don't like people like Stewart pointing out the asinine nature of the ratings.

[snowsprite]

Great show! Next week: Tom Cruise and Bill Clinton slated to appear. (not on the same show I think, but still!)
:eek:
Sprite

[supercow]

Originally posted by Dexter Rutecki
You've missed the point. Arbitrarily labeling a vote as 'liberal' is meaningless, and that's what Stewart was getting at, without really saying so (I saw the end of that interview).
For some reason, for example, the Republican groups will call a vote against the late-term abortion ban 'liberal', but true conservatives (who are against restrictive federal laws that curtail individual freedoms) would actually vote the same as a so-called liberal on that issue. Same as a vote for the defense of marriage act would be opposed by many conservatives, as it is a vote against states' rights in favor of a more intrusive federal government.
The conservative groups who jigger this stuff to make Kerry look like Trotsky, when he's really just a centrist, don't like people like Stewart pointing out the asinine nature of the ratings.

Didn't see the interview, all I know is that the rankings ARE important and the only thing that does matter is who you get that info from.

[cj001f]

Originally posted by supercow
Didn't see the interview, all I know is that the rankings ARE important and the only thing that does matter is who you get that info from.
The rankings reinforce whatever narrow partisan agenda some groups care's about. Your American Conservative Union picked 19 votes out of the whole term to rank senators by (cherry picking!). The Vote Review uses a relative ranking scheme that's patently absurd to me - how liberal you are is relative to how conservative everyone else is.

[glademaster]

Bottom line, Dailty Show=totally kickass programming and better than the real news on most nights.

Woo-hoo, 550 posts!