Sunday, December 13, 2009

Hoystory skewers absurd PolitiFact rating

I don't have time to evaluate every PolitiFact entry. There just isn't enough time in the week. I took some time to look over blog commentary about PolitiFact. As expected, most of the comments simply report a rating of interest to the blogger. However, a few more bloggers than I expected have started writing response pieces.

I ran across a particularly good one from Matthew Hoy of the blog "Hoystory."

Hoy objected to PolitiFact's treatment of Mike Pence. Pence had stated that the president's proposal to use TARP money for various things other than debt reduction was illegal. PolitiFact ruled Pence "Half True."

Here's the meat of Hoy's take, but I recommend reading the entirety:
As I’ve enjoyed doing before, let’s do a little reductio ad absurdum on this.

This example is inspired by Sen. Harry Reid.

Statement: It’s illegal to have slaves in the United States.

Politifact analysis: Half true. Congress could pass a constitutional amendment repealing the 13th through 15th amendments and 3/4 of the state legislatures could ratify it and then you could buy slaves again – probably at a warehouse store.

To say any true statement is “half true” because Congress may, at some point in the future, pass a law making the true statement false is the most absurd and tortured “analysis” that the self-appointed fact-checkers at Politifact have yet come up with – and that’s saying something.
Nice reductio, Mr. Hoy!

Note to self:  No need to evaluate that one.  The job's been done.

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