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Word counts
First-time blogger here at TPM, so be gentle.
Matthew Yglesias links to <a href="http://goodspeedupdate.com/2008/2208">this post</a> in which Rob Goodspeed analyzes the word counts the candidates devote to discussions of issues on their respective websites as a way of gauging the relative importance of those issues to those candidates. Of course, quantity doesn't equal quality, but the charts make for interesting (and in some cases curious, given how the primary campaign has gone) reading.
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Comments (7)
Grr--sorry about the formatting problems.
Here is that link.
May 8, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
YOU WANT GENTLE?
Get a foot massage from BionicSoy. His cell mate tells me "he's got nice hands".
Now stop posting before I barf my wine cooler.
Larry Johnson
Obama/PopTarts '08
May 8, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ren,
Thank you for taking the time to compose your thoughtful and considered response to my post.
May 8, 2008 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it might be more representative if the word counts were first normalized, or similarly if an ipsative system were used to determine relative importance.
May 8, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, yes, Ben (and thanks for commenting); that would be valuable--and fun--to see. But surely the presence/absence of certain issues is striking to note on this graph. I'm fascinated by the fact that of the three candidates, only Obama addresses the issue of faith on his site. Given how religion--the alleged confusion over whether he is "really" a Christian--has been used against him in various subtle and not-so-subtle ways by both Republicans and Clinton, it's curious that neither of them addresses that issue at all.
One can spin Obama's addressing that in ways that are unflattering to him; personally, I (full disclosure: a completely in-the-tank, Kool-aid-swilling Obama fan) have no cause to think other than what he has repeatedly said: that his understanding of the Gospel informs his politics, that it's not a flag-pin-like veneer slapped on for purposes of optics.
May 8, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely. I did not mean to imply that this was a worthless piece of information. One can even perform a crude estimation of a normalization of the data in one's head. My concern is just that certain people will fail to realize that this metric is biased towards loquaciousness.
As for the question of faith—as an atheist, it's not the one I'd choose to emphasize. I'd note that he also seems to be the only one who includes civil rights, disabilities, senior citizens, urban policy, and service in his issues—or at least in the issue summaries. As I write this, I suspect they're not sampling the entire list of issues, but I could be wrong.
May 8, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd note that he also seems to be the only one who includes civil rights, disabilities, senior citizens, urban policy, and service in his issues—or at least in the issue summaries. As I write this, I suspect they're not sampling the entire list of issues, but I could be wrong.
I agree with you that those are indeed also significant issues. As a believer and advocate of the wall of separation between church and state myself, I'd much prefer that religion not become a political punching bag because it ends up cheapening the value of religion--but that's just me.
As for your questioning about sampling, Goodspeed notes that he just made a list of the "Issues" tabs at each campaign's respective website; the absence of an issue for a campaign indicates that that campaign simply didn't address it.
May 8, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
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