Scarborough's Impeccable Math: Half of One Sixth Is One Third
The next time Joe Scarborough mocks the intellectual capacity of a Republican presidential candidate, he should recall the truly atrocious arithmetic skills he demonstrated on national television October 26, 2011.
Discussing an anti-poverty program with guest Christie Hefner, the co-host of Morning Joe actually said half of one sixth is one third (video follows with partial transcript and commentary):
JOE SCARBOROUGH: You want to help be a part of a process that cuts poverty in half in America. Right now one in six of Americans are in poverty. You want to make that one in three.
Surely Hefner isn't working towards doubling poverty, for two times 1/6 equals 1/3. Half of 2/3 equals 1/3
The magic number strangely eluding Scarborough Wednesday morning was 1/12.
I just hope he remembers this the next time he's ridiculing a Republican presidential candidate for making an honest mistake.
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Comments
Isn't it Ironic?
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:34pm.
An old man turned 98
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your chardonnay
It's a death row pardon, two minutes too late
And isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
It's like rain, on your wedding day
It's a free ride, when you've already paid
It's the good advice, that you just didn't take
And who would've thought it figures?
Mr. Play-It-Safe, was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life, to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought, "Well, isn't this nice"?
And isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
It's like rain, on your wedding day
It's a free ride, when you've already paid
It's the good advice, that you just didn't take
And who would've thought it figures?
Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out
When you think everything's gone wrong
And everything blows up in your face
A traffic jam, when you're already late
A no smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons, when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
A little too ironic? Yeah, I really do think
It's like rain, on your wedding day
It's a free ride, when you've already paid
It's the good advice, that you just didn't take
And who would've thought it figures?
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
And life has a funny, funny way, of helping you out
Helping you out
~ Alanis Morrisette
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
I'm not sure if it was an
Submitted by TerryWest on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:04pm.
I'm not sure if it was an honest mistake or that he was fully confidante after applying his math logic skills by taking away 3 from 6 in his head, without using fingers on air.
I'd give Joe the same
Submitted by kg on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 4:16pm.
I'd give Joe the same consideration he gave Palin and Bachmann. As a matter of fact I would use Joe's words to explain his gaff.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Actually, none of those examples in her song illustrates
Submitted by WhoIsJohnGalt on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:09pm.
irony....
Irony is use of words to illustrate the opposite of the word's literal meaning in a sarcastic or humorous manner, or a situation that appears to have the outcome opposite of what was expected. Such as :
A traffic jam when you left early to avoid traffic.
A traffic jam when you're already late is an example of adding insult to injury.
I find it ironic that she wrote that song so impressed with herself for writing such bitingly ironic lyrics, when her definition of irony was incorrect. Now THAT'S ironic.
I've thought this about that
Submitted by Ed Gregory on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:29pm.
I've thought this about that song for years but chalked it up to her being Canadian. Do you suppose it was a Jagged Little Pill for her to swallow when she learned how incorrect she was?
My favorite
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:45pm.
....was "meeting the man of your dreams, and meeting his be-oo-ti-ful wife".
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Assuming you keyed them in
Submitted by Ed Gregory on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:37pm.
Assuming you keyed them in correctly -- of course you did -- I'm just glad I wasn't singing the wrong lyrics all this time.
C/P is my friend, Ed
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 5:06pm.
There are a zillion song lyric sites out on these intertubes. :)
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
You...you cheated? I don't
Submitted by Ed Gregory on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:29am.
You...you cheated? I don't know what to believe anymore.
Not to nit pick, but there
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 3:39pm.
Not to nit pick, but there are 1-1/2 actual ironies in her song. The part about the man being afraid to fly and having the plane crash on his first flight is ironic. The 1/2 points goes to the 98 year old man dying the day after he won the lottery. If she had added that he bought a ticket every day for 70 years, then it could have qualified as ironic.
As you said, the rest is bad timing (death row pardon too late), bad luck (rain on your wedding day), misfortune (fly in your chardonnay), or just plain bad judgement (good advice you didn't take).
But I agree with you that Morrisette's misuse of the word ironic is the most ironic thing about the song.
I think the word irony is one
Submitted by Smartypants on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 4:40pm.
I think the word irony is one of the most misused in the english language. Lots of folks take a situation that is really just a coincidence and they call it "ironic". "I went to the store today and, ironically, my friend was there." Of course, there is nothing ironic about someone's friend being the same place that person happens to be, unless there is a pretty strong reason why the friend would never show up in a place like that.
The irony would be if you had gone to that particular
Submitted by WhoIsJohnGalt on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 5:00pm.
store to avoid the friend, and he shows up there.
Or Helen Keller hearing the phone ring, and she answers the iron. There's irony in that one...gotta be.
dupe
Submitted by WhoIsJohnGalt on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 5:04pm.
.
Joe obviously needs more joe.
Submitted by kata on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:17pm.
By the way... what is Ms. Hefner's solution to poverty?
I suck at math and still know
Submitted by marpel on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:19pm.
I suck at math and still know that was wrong. He's stupid and has no filter.
"Deep within my heart lies a memory. A song of ol' San Antone..."
When he did the math, did
Submitted by Ed Gregory on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:35pm.
When he did the math, did Mika do her bobblehead nod?
Dear Joe, don't quit your day
Submitted by Beukeboom on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:36pm.
Dear Joe, don't quit your day job.
...on the other hand...
Remember: He was a Congressman
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:37pm.
Imagine 525 Senators and Representatives applying Joe-Math to drafting bills and writing budgets, and I think we can understand how we arrived at a $14 trillion debt.
Shack!
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:45pm.
(as someone used to say around these parts...I forget who)
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Hmm...
Submitted by Bhaal on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:51pm.
535 senators and representatives. 14 trillion debt. There must be a new "priceless" commercial in there somewhere.
435 State Representatives...74 million salary.
100 US Senators...17.4 million salary.
14 Trillion national debt...Priceless!
If Herman Cain had done that....
Submitted by NeoKong on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:01pm.
Joe would build a whole show around it.
I'm pretty sure that Boy
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:03pm.
I'm pretty sure that Boy Barry would be happy with that math.
Scarborough has lots of company
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:06pm.
I tutored kids in math years ago and this is SO typical!
I remember their eyes glazing over when we got to fractions divided BY fractions.
Their "guesses" were so illogical it made me realize how you should always take what people say and how they "analyze" things with a grain of salt.
For example, 2 divided by 1/8. I'd ask them to think about it: "How many times will 1/8 go into 2?"
Our math teachers were right. Math helps you learn to THINK rationally and objectively!
I'd LOVE to give a basic math text to the elitists who run this country, and their adoring media complex.
It's no wonder we have so many bad decisions and dumb opinions in this country.
I hear that, metaphors
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:21pm.
I taught remedial math to Army troops (this was back in the day when Reagan was Pres and we had many poorly educated members).
Fractions were the most difficult to teach....because they are counter-intuitive. But once you can get across that any time you're dealing with a number smaller than ONE (a fraction)....you have to THINK about what you are trying to do. And that actually relating the math problem to a story problem (everyone hates word problems in math), it becomes much easier to grasp. Then you get the "light bulb" reaction.
I'm like you. I love math.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
You're a 100 watt Blonde
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:59pm.
Yes! The "light bulb" analogy.
What a fun moment.
I was once given the task of tutoring a young girl whom the public school system had given up on and had advised her parents she had a "learning disability".
She couldn't get basic algebra, was flunking most everything and was basically depressed and withdrawn.
As I did with all the kids I worked with I INSISTED she understand how things worked and not simply try to memorize the "rules".
Equals added to equals, equals subtracted from equals, and so on ... I made her see WHY this is true and how it is the basis of algebra. If you don't really get it you'll be lost down the road and all that "change the sign and bring it around stuff" will be useless.
She HATED the sight of me for approximately 2 weeks and "talked about me like I was a dog". It wasn't enough that she somehow had gotten the right answer, I made her explain HOW she'd gotten it.
One day the "light bulb" came on and I'll never forget the look on her face.
She took off from there and became an A student. Didn't need me anymore.
All I did was show her the way and make her think, which is all we can do.
It's too bad so many people just refuse to look for the light switch, much less actually see the light.
Ah yes, the "light bulb moment"
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 4:58pm.
And so true, your final line.....
Alas, school just teaches kids to think like little robots, blabbing stupidity in rote fashion. It's really criminal the education system we have in this country, and for which we pay, and pay, and pay.
Since we're talking fractions.....this is what happens when one bows to the least common denominator. Alas.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
I really can't understand...
Submitted by Kaleidoscopic God on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 6:44pm.
...why so many people have trouble with fractions, division, or anything related to math. (Granted, I took Calculus when I was in High School, so my answer is definitely gonna be skewed, but still!)
basic math vs algebra
Submitted by kata on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 2:56am.
I was taught basic math using "the dice method" - I have mild OCD (lol) so this probably wasn't the best learning style for me. When I do basic problems I see and *must* count the "dots" in my head. It pretty much messed up my ability to internalize addition and subtraction.
Then I picked up an algebra workbook in the 5th grade and filled it out completely on my own. I adored it.
They thought I cheated on the
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 2:32am.
They thought I cheated on the ASVAB because I had wildly different scores on the different math sections. They made me take a mini test to make sure I really DIDN"T know how to do the basics, but could do higher math - in my head. NO clue - could not show my work.
I failed pre-algebra in HS - twice.
While awaiting A-school, I flunked and was ordered to take a 2 week class of basic to trig. Being the only one interested enough to raise my hand and answer the questions, I was told to stay away, do my work on my own, and turn it in.
Then I went to collage - flunked the pre-test on math and had to start at level 1, basic math - that's when MY light bulb finally lit up!!! My dad was a physicist {studied the ozone layer for JPL} so you'd think math would be natural for me, but no - I would have made the same mistake because I no longer use math, so I get how Joe would make the mistake - I just don't understand, since he seems to LOVE the sound of his own voice, why *he* didn't catch it!!!
Ronald Reagan
Huh...
Submitted by SamC on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:12pm.
And he looks so smart in those glasses.
If he would only keep his mouth shut, his secret would be safe.
I don't think they teach math at Journolism School,
Submitted by johnsonl on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:12pm.
do they?
Congressmen sure can't count, unless it's their OWN money...
The reason this should be
Submitted by Gat New York on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:28pm.
The reason this should be thrown back in his face repeatedly is that this is what he does to GOP candidates for the slightest gaff - and he does it just to keep his job on the most left wing station in broadcast.
This self-appointed messiah of conservatism is such a fraud there are days you want to throw a shoe at the TV.
Wow.
Submitted by Morganfrost on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 3:28pm.
And I always thought Mika was the stupid one.
It didn't take Joe's lack up
Submitted by Captain Repus on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 6:55pm.
It didn't take Joe's lack up understanding of basic math to make me realize he is a moron. Just tune in to his show any day of the week and you will see the combined IQ of him and his breasted-American co-host hovering somewhere around that of plant life.
Math and Pie
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 7:26pm.
Q: If I cut a pie in three pieces, and divided one piece in half, how many pieces of pie would be left?
A: None. I'm pretty sure I saw a Michael Moore story around here today too.
Math per the Three Stooges
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Too bad that
Submitted by coin of the realm on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 7:43pm.
Joe is a Republican and former Congressman R-Fl.
Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes her laws. Mayer Amschel Rothschild
haha you, I say, you made a funneh...
Submitted by kata on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 8:20pm.
and I am not sure you even know it.
In gubbermint skule, half is whatever you want it to be
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 8:16pm.
It's not like they will flunk 'em or anything.
Might damage their self-esteem for life.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November