Candidate Justifies Complicated Policy Decision With A Single Anecdote

Story by Ben Plowman 

| Published Oct 14, 2008

Faced with an abundance of confusing and occasionally contradictory facts, a leading candidate for a major national office recently forewent even basic analysis of the pros and cons of their position in favor of a single generic story about suffering, sources close to the matter report.
    
Now, lots of people are going to tell you lots of different things about the [issue at hand],” the candidate correctly stated during a carefully rehearsed press conference this past week. After pausing for effect, the candidate continued his or her speech by stating incorrectly that “What they’re not going to tell you is about what’s happening on Main Street.” In fact, the candidate’s leading rival launched a series of appearances earlier that week to get the word out on what was happening on and around Main Street.
    
In spite of initial overtures suggesting the speech would be related to a single issue in particular, the candidate quickly turned his or her attention to an old woman he or she had happened to meet earlier in the week.
  
Let me tell you the story of an old woman”, the candidate began, with a serious look on his or her face. What followed was a description of the poverty in which the woman lived, peppered with occasional references to how lively the woman was in spite of being so poor.

The candidate, arguably on of the richest people in the United States, didn’t implent his ancedote to help anyone directly. Instead the candidtate said it to suppose a large and expensive plan he or she has already devised.

Please,” the candidate urged viewers, “do it for old woman’s name.” Serving only to worsen matters, the leading rival of the candidate proposed an entirely different plan while still managing to meet a suffering, elderly woman in the process.