Give me a break. I'm not saying Perlstein's numbers are correct. If you are so critical of him for citing to an article that doesn't support his claim, then you are giving Southack a complete pass for doing exactly the same thing. I guess the only think that really matters is which side of the argument you are on, not the quality of the evidence.
My point was against people that make bold claims but can not back them up with facts (Perlstein). Beyond that I am not sure what you are talking about.