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In reacting to the Federal judge’s ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, stated:

We can’t allow the lowest common denominator states, like Massachusetts, to set standards for the country.

While least/lowest common denominator is a mathematical term, in a social context it refers to “the most basic, least sophisticated level of taste, sensibility, or opinion among a group of people.” Thus, Lafferty seems to be asserting that Massachusetts represents the “least sophisticated level of taste” among American states.

Reading Lafferty’s words can strike a different tone, a more broad assertion that Massachusetts is somehow backward, trailing the other states in the nation, the ‘back-of-the-pack’ state holding the rest of the nation down. …

Huh …??

Just where does Massachusetts stand in the pack?

• CO2 Emissions per capita:  12,3 tons/year … or 43rd place.  If the nation matched Massachusetts, we’d be putting about 40% less CO2 into the atmosphere.
• Oil consumption per capita: 28th (not ‘great’, but certainly not lowest common denominator).  If the nation matched Massachusetts (with its home heating oil), we’d be using 10% less oil.
• Transit ridership per capita: #3

Some simple statistical examples of the energy situation across the country that certainly suggest that Massachusetts and Massachusetts residents are far from the nation’s “lowest common denominator”.

If the nation matched Massachusetts, we’d be polluting less and sending fewer dollars overseas for imported oil.

Lowest Common Denominator?

Let’s look at some other domains and statistics:

• Per Capita GDP:  Massachusetts #5
• Best Educated: Massachusetts #3
• Healthiest:  Massachusetts #3
• Abortion rate: #12
• Binge drinkers: #13
• Child Death Rate: #47 (Note that first (worst) 15 are red states.)
• Per Capita Income:  Massachusetts #3
• Firearms death rate per 100,000:  Massachusetts #50
• Patents per capita: Massachusetts, #4,    (One red state (Idaho) in top ten)
• “Best States to Live”: #7

Ms Lafferty, please define Lowest Common Denominator because it seems pretty clear that, on average, Americans would be lower polluting, wealthier, healthier, and happier if their states ‘fell’ to the lowest common denominator as represented by Massachusetts.

Hat tip to Mem from Summerville.