wedrifid comments on Open Thread June 2010, Part 4 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Will_Newsome 19 June 2010 04:34AM

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Comment author: wedrifid 19 June 2010 11:18:18AM 2 points [-]

Probability that this person would have a worse influence on the senate than a more standard politician: 5%.

Comment author: Kevin 19 June 2010 02:38:05PM 0 points [-]

I would give it lower than that, US Senators have surprisingly little power.

Comment author: AlexMennen 19 June 2010 03:41:29PM 1 point [-]

That is not important when considering the probability that Alvin Greene would have a worse influence on the Senate than the average politician if he got elected. It is only important when considering the probability that he would have a much worse influence on the Senate than average.

Comment author: Daniel_Burfoot 19 June 2010 02:45:33PM 0 points [-]

US Senators have surprisingly little power.

???

I mean, in the sense that the US government is like a massive Ouija board that is not really controlled by anyone, then sure. But the senators seem to have a particularly heavy hand on the board.

Comment author: Kevin 19 June 2010 02:50:00PM 0 points [-]

Sorry, I meant "influence", not "power".

Comment author: Larks 19 June 2010 11:49:05AM 0 points [-]

Conditional on their winning the election, presumably.

Comment author: wedrifid 19 June 2010 01:13:20PM 0 points [-]

I'm not sure that is technically necessary given the precise phrasing.

Comment author: Larks 19 June 2010 03:18:26PM 0 points [-]

Because, unless he is a politician, the sentence fails to make sense, because 'more standard politician' requires him to be one? If so, I think being selected as a candidate makes you a politician.

Comment author: wedrifid 19 June 2010 04:26:22PM 0 points [-]

It seems to make sense without any fancy interpretation.