The difference between the impossible and the improbable and the 2020 election.
November 20, 2020
Last week, with less than 45 second left, and trailing by four points, the Arizona Cardinals (football team) made a miraculous "Hail Mary" comeback to win the game. With such a deficit and so little time, it wasn't impossible, but it was very improbable. If the Cards had given up they would have been booed by their diehard fans; it was not impossible to score, and they did. They were rewarded with a win, and we, the audience, rewarded with great excitement and a lesson in 'nothing is impossible.' If they were behind by more than eight points, it would have gone from improbable to impossible; the Cards played a great game but no matter with less than a minute they would have had to score, somehow get possession of the football again and score again. Not enough time, impossible. No shame, it's life.
If the St. Louis Cardinals (baseball team) are losing by 36 runs with two outs in ninth inning, it's possible that they could rally and win, it's not impossible, but it is very, very improbable and ridiculous for the fans to remain in the seats or watching on TV or for the players to wait out a walk or try to get hit by a pitch or argue with the umpire over a third strike to "start a rally." It's "possible" they could win, ridiculously improbable, and any rationale (and most irrationale) people would turn the channel, or leave the stands and go home.
The difference between possible and improbable, between trying all efforts - legal or not - and taking a rational long-term view of any situation, is being played out by president Trump and his Republican sycophants who are saying that since it is still possible that when all the fraud and lying is over (even when there is no proof yet) that it is 'possible' that he may get reelected and so "let's let it play out." Yes, it is possible; but at what level of improbable must we reach before the game is called?
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