The folks at the Daily Kos just commissioned a poll of 2,000 self-identifying Republicans by independent polling firm Research 2000. I think you’ll find the results enlightening. Here’s a sample:
• Over a third of Republicans believe the birth control pill is abortion (which explains why nearly a third of them want contraceptive use outlawed).
• 68% of Republicans believe or are not sure if Obama should be impeached (39% believe Obama should be impeached, 29% are not sure).
• 58% of Republicans don’t believe or are not sure if Obama was born in the United States (36% believe Obama was not born in the United States, 22% are not sure, 42% think he is a legitimate citizen).
• 63% of Republicans think that Obama is a socialist. Another 16% aren’t sure.
• 64% of Republicans believe or are not sure if Obama, to quote Glenn Beck, is a “Racist who hates White people” (31% believe Obama is a “Racist”, 33% were not sure, 36% said he was not a racist.).
• 57% of Republicans believe or are not sure if Obama wants “the terrorists to win” (24% of believe Obama wants “the terrorists to win,” 33% aren’t sure, 43% said he did not want the terrorists to win).
• 76% of Republicans believe or are not sure if ACORN stole the 2008 election (21% of them believe ACORN stole the 2008 election, 55% are not sure, 24% said they did not steal the election.)
• 77% believe that public school students should be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
• 42% of Republicans believe or are not sure if their state should secede from the United States (23% believe that their state should secede from the United States, 19% aren’t sure, 58% said no.)
• 53% of Republicans said they believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama.
This, my friends, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, is some truly terrifying shit. The folks on the other side aren’t just wrong – they’re crazy.
24 Comments
So, what are you doing to drum up support for the U.S. Social Forum this year?
I wasn’t aware of the US Social Forum, Tom. Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out.
One wonders, how EOS would answer these questions, if he were to answer honestly.
EOS?
Kim, will you quit baiting EOS! No one cares what (s)he thinks.
Don’t worry, Andy, he doesn’t have the balls to admit it here, in public.
I wonder how many of them don’t believe a black man should hold the office of President?
I think many birth control pills induce abortion, but do not want to outlaw them. I don’t think Obama should be impeached, just voted out of office at the first opportunity. I’m not sure Obama was born in the US. I think He is definitely a socialist – a progressive intent on establishing one world government. I don’t think he hates white people especially since he is half white. I’m not sure if he wants the terrorists to win, but fairly sure that he doesn’t want the US to prevail. I don’t think ACORN stole the election, but I am fairly sure that they engaged in dirty politics on many levels. I believe that if the public schools teach chemical evolution and abiogenesis then they should also be required to state that there are alternative explanations. I would rather that scientists were honest and merely stated that they don’t know the mechanism by which the universe was created and leave all speculative discussions to philosophy classes. I don’t think any state should secede from the union at this time. I don’t believe Sarah Palin is more qualified than Obama, but I also think there are many who are better qualified than him.
But I am not a Republican!
I think secession is awesome, and more people should live in tepees.
Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight has some interesting analysis of the poll data.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/02/mcgop-virtues-and-vices-of-sameness.html
• Over a third of Republicans believe the birth control pill is abortion. The other two thirds were too confused by the question to answer.
• 68% of Republicans believe or are not sure if Obama should be impeached. The other 32% think he already was, and has barracaded himself in the White House in a stand-off with DC police.
• 58% of Republicans don’t believe or are not sure if Obama was born in the United States. The remaining 42% have copies of his Kenyan birth certificate proving he wasn’t.
• 63% of Republicans think that Obama is a socialist. Another 16% aren’t sure what socialism means. The remaining 21% think “socialist” is an understatement.
• 64% of Republicans believe or are not sure if Obama, to quote Glenn Beck, is a “Racist who hates White people” (31% believe Obama is a “Racist”, 33% were not sure, 36% said he is not a racist but hates all Americans equally.)
• 57% of Republicans believe or are not sure if Obama wants “the terrorists to win” (24% of believe Obama wants “the terrorists to win,” 33% aren’t sure, 43% said they already have).
• 76% of Republicans believe or are not sure if ACORN stole the 2008 election (21% of them believe ACORN stole the 2008 election, 55% are not sure, 24% could not comment on account of ongoing legal questions regarding their own involvement in election rigging of 2000 and 2004 elections.)
• 77% believe that public school students should be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world? The other 23% didn’t understand the question.
• 42% of Republicans believe or are not sure if their state should secede from the United States. The remaining 58% live outside of Texas.
• 53% of Republicans said they believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama, though only 3% were actually thinking it.
Daily Kos – truly a non-partisan polling organization. Surely their poll MUST be fair and balanced….
The poll results reminds me forcefully of the example of the snarky reporter who asks the Mayor, “How often do you beat your wife?”
Nice try, Daily Kos.
Designated Republican, will you answer the poll questions for us?
EOS:
Can you name me one socialist who believes that Obama is also a socialist? Can you point to a particular article from which Obama draws his supposed socialist inspiration to take America down and institute some kind of fuzzily-defined [Stalinist?] centrally planned economy and authoritarian state?
I’m a ‘socialist’ who prefers local power and regional and national federation in a good society. I prefer social institutions that encourage us to cooperate; allow us a variety of options; ensure that anyone has a say in decisions in proportion to the degree that they are affected (democracy); and allow us to be rewarded for the hard work we do and the conditions under which we do it. There’s a lot more to it, but those are some basic values for a vision.
If Obama is working toward that kind of vision, then I can see from the start that his strategy is doomed to utter failure. So I’m not on board that “socialist” train.
But, Glenn Beck wrote it on his chalkboard….
Tom,
Based on your description of your beliefs, you’d make a lousy socialist.
Robert,
I see what DKos purports the answers to be, but not the questions. I know from professional experience that how you ask the questions can easily affect the results. For a pollster with real credibility, stick with Rasmussen.
That’s strange, Designated Republican. I see the questions. I wonder why you can’t. Here, I’ll read them to you:
1. Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion?
2. Do you believe Obama should be impeached?
3. Do you believe Obama was born in the United States?
4. Do you think that Obama is a socialist?
5. Do you believe Obama, to quote Glenn Beck, is a “Racist who hates White people?”
6. Do you believe Obama wants “the terrorists to win?”
7. Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election?
8. Do you believe that public school students should be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
9. Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?
10. Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama?
Not sure how you couldn’t gather all of that for yourself, but there you go. I’ve restated the questions for you. I reported, now you decide.
Thanks.
1. Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion?
No.
2. Do you believe Obama should be impeached?
This is a pointless question.
3. Do you believe Obama was born in the United States?
This is a question best asked of the President – only he can demonstrate whether or not he has satisfied the Constitution’s eligibility requirements. I voted for the other guy based on policy preferences, not the efficacy of his birth records.
4. Do you think that Obama is a socialist?
I disagree with most of the President’s policy choices and believe that his policies are deepening our country’s economic troubles, just as Governor Granholm has done for our state.
5. Do you believe Obama, to quote Glenn Beck, is a “Racist who hates White people?”
This is a pointless question. Glenn Beck is welcome to his opinion.
6. Do you believe Obama wants “the terrorists to win?”
Another pointless question. In Afghanistan, the President has mostly continued President’s Bush’s military policies with regards to terrorist threats. If he wants the terrorists to “win,” all he has to do is withdraw our troops, withdraw support for the Iraqi and Afghani governments, and close Guantanamo Bay by repatriating all of the prisoners. I don’t see him doing that, do you?
7. Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election?
No, I believe that Senator McCain was the worst possible republican nominee and ran a lousy campaign, causing far too many folks to stay home rather than hold their nose and vote for him. In some places, folks like ACORN may have managed to manipulate the process somewhat, but not so as to alter the outcome of the Presidential race. McCain lost.
8. Do you believe that public school students should be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
Another pointless question. Unless I’m mistaken, this is settled law and there are no plans afoot to alter the situation. I love the Bible and believe it to be God’s word to man. I believe that reading the scriptures helps me to become a better person and move closer to God. I recommend the Book to those who are receptive to its teachings.
9. Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?
Yet another pointless question. This item was settled for certain back in 1865. Perhaps the pollster’s high school didn’t cover this period of US history? I believe in federalism, and in a constitutionally limited federal government. From what I’ve seen this year in the bills put forth by the Democratic Congressional Leadership; they do not. I would also speculate that the section on federalism and the Constitutional limitations on the federal government were not covered in the President’s college civics courses either.
10. Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama?
It is true that Governor Palin actually has some executive experience running a state, including proposing legislation, working through the budget process, and managing a bureaucracy. Prior to taking office, the President did not. After a year in the Presidency, I suspect that the President has learned a great deal and is now more qualified to be President (experience-wise) than the former Governor.
They forgot to add that Obama is really a Muslim, Obama is a sleeper agent for Al-Qaeda, Obama is trying to destroy the U.S. economy to pave the way for a socialist takeover, and Obama is secretly trying to destroy the Democrat party to again pave the way for the socialist party.
I love how you say “this is a pointless question” whenever you don’t want to answer one of them.
This Is A Pointless Question = Yes
Also on this subject, Andrew Sullivan has a piece today on what Tea Baggers really believe.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/02/christocrats.html
It looks like there’s going to be an abortion-themed “reality” show. (You can vote on whether or not they keep their babies.)
http://www.alternet.org/story/145552/%27reality%27_show_lets_you_decide_if_women_get_abortions
I want $25,000 to do a poll. Sounds fun.
I liked the idea of people voting ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ as to whether babies lived or died, Kim, but that’s not apparently what they’re talking about. It’ll be actresses.
Ted, liberals spent eight years shouting “Impeach Bush!” – which was also pointless.
When I answered “This is a pointless question” – that should be read exactly as written. This is a pointless question = This is a pointless question. I don’t bother with pointless questions – you might consider doing the same.
However, you did illustrate the great truth about the liberal mind: If a liberal doesn’t hear what he or she wants to hear, no problem – the liberal brain simply makes it up! That’s quite likely where the Daily Kos poll results came from after all.
Mr. DR, I would argue that generalizing about the “liberal brain” is as pointless as liberal leaning folks creating sweeping statements about the “conservative brain”.
There was an interesting article in the post about the liberal brain yesterday but I can’t find it. You will have to look for it yourself.