Q: The rapid rise in the rate of home foreclosures is a

Q: The rapid rise in the rate of home foreclosures is a serious economic problem; it will undoubtedly cost of the majority party votes in the coming election.
Z: I disagree. Statistics for the past 40 years show that there is no significant relationship between the prevailing level of foreclosures and political gains or losses by the party that happens to be in the majority at election time.

Which of the following most seriously weakens the force of Z’s counter arguments?

(A) Z fails to cite any actual figures
(B) Z’s decision to consider a time span of 40 years seems arbitrary
(C) Z relies on conventional criteria for the notion of a significant relationship
(D) Z’s statistics focus on level of foreclosures rather than direction of change
(E) Z assumes that there is no connection between economic and political trends