this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2024
301 points (96.9% liked)

Not The Onion

12416 readers
1434 users here now

Welcome

We're not The Onion! Not affiliated with them in any way! Not operated by them in any way! All the news here is real!

The Rules

Posts must be:

  1. Links to news stories from...
  2. ...credible sources, with...
  3. ...their original headlines, that...
  4. ...would make people who see the headline think, “That has got to be a story from The Onion, America’s Finest News Source.”

Comments must abide by the server rules for Lemmy.world and generally abstain from trollish, bigoted, or otherwise disruptive behavior that makes this community less fun for everyone.

And that’s basically it!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/45237868

“He’s doing a good job,” Trump saidabout the Israeli leader. “Biden is trying to hold him back, just so you understand, Biden is more superior to the VP. He’s trying to hold him back, and he probably should be doing the opposite, actually. I’m glad that Netanyahu decided to do what he had to do, but it’s moving along pretty good.”

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Far from it. Trump has never gotten the votes of more than 18% of the population.

[–] Kecessa 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

258m adults in the US in 2020 about 255m in 2016

74 223 975 votes in 2020, 62 984 828 in 2016

That's both more than 18% and there's no reason to believe that all people under 18 would vote against Trump.

And that's only based on the people that bothered voting, there's supporters that didn't vote that should get added to that as well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

How come the polls presented on TV show them neck to neck?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

The person you’re replying to is pointing out the distinction between voters and actual population.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Because the media has a profit incentive to portray it as such. The closer it is, the more people watch their coverage and the more money they can charge advertisers.

Which is bad enough in itself, but them portraying it as close and the lies of fascists as valid arguments worthy of consideration MAKES it closer than it would otherwise be, in a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.

Bottom line is that, even with the sensationalist media helping them be more competitive, they would lose every major election in 40-45 states if not for massive voter suppression.

They do NOT have the support of half of the population, or even half of that. They're viable in spite of 80% of the population not supporting them because the system is broken in their favor.

[–] atzanteol 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Utter bullshit. The polling companies are often separate from the media companies. Some are even academic institutions. And they are incentivised to be accurate. Imagine being the one polling organisation that can call elections!

What y'all are misunderstanding, however, is the difference between poll numbers and probability of winning. Harris definitely polls better but due to the electoral college the probability that she wins in lower than poll numbers suggests.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Utter bullshit

Thanks for the summation of your reply. Headlines are usually bolded and in bigger type than the body text, though..

The polling companies are often separate from the media companies. Some are even academic institutions

And there sre hundreds if not thousands from which to choose. The media choose the ones that best fit the narrative they've already written.

And they are incentivised to be accurate

Nope. They are incentivized to deliver the results that their customers want, regardless of accuracy.

Imagine being the one polling organisation that can call elections!

Even if doing so consistently was possible (which it isn't), that wouldn't be the most profitable thing to do. See above on incentive.

What y'all are misunderstanding, however, is the difference between poll numbers and probability of winning

Nope, I understand full well the difference between the popular vote, which is what's polled, and the electoral vote which is a big part of the aforementioned system being broken in favor of the American Fascist Party AKA the GOP.

[–] atzanteol 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What a garbage response. "There is a profit motive, checkmate" is all you've said.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 month ago

What a garbage response

This you?

"There is a profit motive, checkmate" is all you've said.

You either have the reading comprehension of a toddler or the capacity to argue in good faith of Ben Shapiro. Either way, I'm done indulging you. Have the day you deserve.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's what happens when your life is shit no matter who gets elected.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

This line of thinking is exactly what got Trump elected in 2016. All it shows is ignorance of your own political system

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

What it shows is how little our ruling parties care about wage earners, really.

Harris spent two months repeating memes instead of coming up with plans to bring wage earners into the fold, and if she loses, that's why. You can meme about joy all day and that doesn't put food on people's tables.