Well, I hope it was "education" or lack of as much as being told that children belong to the state...schools. If people have actually witnessed some garbage going on in schools, then it is a big plus..."if" parents continue to be involved. Part of my concern is the emotional aspect of moma bears rather than the intellectual aspect that would remain. I wish parents everywhere would dig into the local schools more than in the past.
Percentage comparisons are important, nice and easy to grasp. However, I would like to see much more. In addition to seeing percentage comparisons of house, senate and governor races in particular during presidential and non presidential years between the candidates, I would like to see the "raw numbers" of voters not shown in percentage comparisons. Would a model show fairly consistent variation of voters for the various positions in presidential and non-presidential years. Is that variation out of the similar population regardless of the year statistically or is their much more variation when comparing presidential and non-presidential numbers for the offices. We know that presidential turnout is higher, but what about variation in all offices for presidential and non-presidential years.
When the talking heads say ole Terry is underperforming to a previous Dem whose numbers are tied to a previous Pub race...is he? Sure, if percentages ignoring the previous comparison pub results are valid (and they are not), then that comparison can be made with those assumptions, but it might also be an irrelevant comparison, since the previous Pub might have been inherently weak. Making that statement is a political method of suggesting Terry just didn't pull in as many votes as the previous dem or some other comparison to suggest that policy differences were not the issue, but bad efforts at lassoing the votes. That comparison was used in the media. Pubs on the other hand will look at the victory through policy difference lens and so each side will attempt to spin the results, but the pubs can also point out the historical voting to suggest policy. Anyway, having the raw numbers rather than percentages submitted for many years during presidential and non-presidential years would add even more insight in variation comparisons and general voter numbers over time.