Editing 985: Percentage Points
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | Senator Grayton is a fictional character, made up for this comic, which is unusual for xkcd, which typically uses real-world references. | |
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− | Senator Grayton is a fictional character, made up for this comic | ||
The issues that Grayton supports: | The issues that Grayton supports: | ||
− | *Tax | + | *Tax Breaks to Drunk Drivers - Grayton proposes giving those who have been convicted of a {{w|DUI}} or DWI (i.e. Driving Under the Influence or Driving While Intoxicated) money back on their taxes, when those infractions are typically severely penalized, as drunk driving has resulted in numerous deaths. |
− | *{{w|Predator | + | *{{w|Predator Drones}} and the {{w|Christmas controversy|War on Christmas}} - The War on {{w|Christmas}} is not a real war; it is simply the perception by some {{w|Christian}}s that non-Christians are trying to replace traditional Christmas imagery with more inclusive and generic holiday customs. No politicians have explicitly announced their support of the "War on Christmas," and the idea that one would not only do so, but would also want to use drones -- ostensibly to harm or possibly kill people - in the effort is an absurd exaggeration of a relatively harmless culture war. |
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The caption's issue with "percentage" versus "percentage points" is that if Grayton's 20% approval rating drops by 19%, that means that his support has only dropped 3.8 percentage points since 19% of 20% is only 3.8%. That would mean that even after all his outrageous statements, his support dropped only from 20% to 16.2%. However, if the news reports that his 20% approval rating dropped 19 ''percentage points'', that means his support has dropped to 1%, which appears to be more accurate given Grayton's egregious policy decisions and the description of his campaign as having "imploded." | The caption's issue with "percentage" versus "percentage points" is that if Grayton's 20% approval rating drops by 19%, that means that his support has only dropped 3.8 percentage points since 19% of 20% is only 3.8%. That would mean that even after all his outrageous statements, his support dropped only from 20% to 16.2%. However, if the news reports that his 20% approval rating dropped 19 ''percentage points'', that means his support has dropped to 1%, which appears to be more accurate given Grayton's egregious policy decisions and the description of his campaign as having "imploded." | ||
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References in the title text: | References in the title text: | ||
− | *{{w|Tracy Morgan}} is an actor who plays | + | *{{w|Tracy Morgan}} is an actor who plays himself in the TV Show {{w|30 Rock}}. He has been reprimanded for controversial comments on homosexuals and {{w|Sarah Palin}} (in separate incidents). |
− | *{{w|John Wilkes Booth}} is the person who assassinated {{w|Abraham Lincoln}}. He was a {{w|Confederate}} sympathizer and supported slavery | + | *{{w|John Wilkes Booth}} is the person who assassinated {{w|Abraham Lincoln}}. He was a {{w|Confederate}} sympathizer and supported slavery. |
− | * | + | *{{w|Time Cube}} Guy is Gene Ray, also known as Otis E. Ray. He has a website known as Time Cube where he sets out his personal model of reality, which he calls Time Cube. He suggests that all of modern physics is wrong, in addition to claiming that religion is evil, specifically Christianity, and that the idea of family is poisoning children. |
− | *College | + | *College Scholarships to Sexually Active Teens - Many people think adolescents should not engage in sexual activity, let alone encouraged to do so by college scholarships. This is the opposite of {{w|Abstinence-only_sex_education|abstinence programs}}, which encourage teens not to be sexually active until marriage. |
− | *Illegal immigrants who create room for themselves by killing a citizen | + | *Illegal immigrants who create room for themselves by killing a citizen - {{w|Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States|Illegal immigration}} is a highly controversial topic in the United States. One argument against illegal immigration is that illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from American citizens. Proponents of immigration assert that this is not the case, since more people in the overall economy creates jobs. Neither group would be in favor of illegal immigrants murdering citizens even though it would not result in a net gain or loss in population. |
− | *Graduated income tax based on penis size | + | *Graduated income tax based on penis size - Many men are sensitive about their penis size and would probably consider the measurement of their penises for tax assessment purposes an enormous embarrassment and invasion of privacy. Even the fact that those with relatively smaller penises would be levied less tax than those with larger penises would probably not be sufficient for them to accept this policy, and even if they did, those with larger penises would probably consider this policy to be unfair. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Cueball | + | :[An average news anchor reading news copy of below average intelligence appears on a TV, with Cueball watching it in utter disgust.] |
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+ | :News Anchor: Senator Grayton's campaign has imploded following the candidate's promise to give tax breaks to drunk drivers and to authorize the use of unmanned Predator drones in the War On Christmas. Grayton had been polling at 20%, but his support has since plunged by 19%. | ||
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:I hate the ambiguity created when people don't distinguish between percentages and percentage points. | :I hate the ambiguity created when people don't distinguish between percentages and percentage points. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | + | [[Category:Politics]] | |
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
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