| 11 February 2010
Politics has become a hot bed for applied statistics. Polls are done daily and we are bombarded with results nightly. Most polls today are tailored to address issues like health care, economy, and national security. Statistics also play an important role in projecting winners in elections.
Just when you thought you've seen it all, along comes a new metric. I came across an article online in Politico, introducing the number of laughs during the daily presser at the White House. It's not a joke and don't be fooled by the premise. On the surface, the laughter metric may not seem carry the same weight as the Dow Jone's index, unemployment numbers, or political races. After getting past the unusualness of the laughter metric, it provides some interesting insight into today's political landscape. Putting on the optimistic glass half full hat, the Obama administration's honeymoon appears to be over. The White House pool reporters appear to be getting more serious with their questions and are expecting serious answers instead of Press Secretary Gibbs ad lib comedy. The laughter metric has dropped by 50% from the first six months to the last six months. The out of the box thinking with the laughter metric goes to show how statistics can provide insight into issues from many angles.
The Politico article can be found here