Blind Leading the Blind

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The blind leading the blind

Even if they don't like to say it out loud, lots of Democrats think
that George Bush's supporters are a horde of ignoramuses. Now comes
evidence that they're right! A remarkable new report titled "The
Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters" from PIPA, the Program
on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland,
suggests that rank and file Republicans are more benighted than even
the most supercilious coastal elitist would imagine.

Analyzing data from a series of nationwide polls, the report finds
that a majority of Bush supporters believe things about the world that
are objectively untrue, while the majority of Kerry supporters dwell in
the reality-based community. For example, Bush backers largely think
that the president and his policies are popular internationally.
Seventy-five percent believe that Iraq was providing "substantial" aid
to al-Qaida, and 63 percent say clear evidence of this has been found.
That, of course, would be news even to Donald Rumsfeld, who earlier
this month told the Council On Foreign Relations, "To my knowledge, I
have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."

Though its language is dispassionate, the report lays responsibility
for this epidemic of ignorance at the White House's door. "So why are
Bush supporters clinging so tightly to these beliefs in the face of
repeated disconfirmations?" it asks. "Apparently one key reason is that
they continue to hear the Bush administration confirming these
beliefs."

Indeed, it says, "an overwhelming 82% [of Bush supporters] perceive
the Bush administration as saying that Iraq had WMD (63%) or a major
WMD program (19%). Only 16% of Bush supporters perceive the
administration as saying that Iraq had some limited activities, but not
an active program (15%) or had nothing (1%). The pattern on al Qaeda is
similar. Seventy-five percent of Bush supporters think the Bush
administration is currently saying Iraq was providing substantial
support to al Qaeda (56%) or even that it was directly involved in 9/11
(19%). Further, 55% of Bush supporters say it is their impression the
Bush administration is currently saying the US has found clear evidence
Saddam Hussein was working closely with al Qaeda (not saying clear
evidence found: 37%)."

These people aren't going to be swayed by the argument that Bush has
alienated American's allies and left the country isolated in the world,
because they don't believe this to be the case. "Despite a steady flow
of official statements, public demonstrations, and public opinion polls
showing that the US war against Iraq is quite unpopular, only 31% of
Bush supporters recognize that the majority of people in the world
oppose the US having gone to war with Iraq," the study says. Bush
supporters also think that world public opinion favors Bush's
reelection. In a poll taken from September 3-7, the study says, "57% of
Bush supporters assumed that the majority of people in the world would
prefer to see Bush reelected, 33% assumed that views are evenly divided
and only 9% assumed that Kerry would be preferred."

In fact, a PIPA study released in early September found that a
majority or plurality of people from 32 countries preferred Kerry to
Bush. PIPA surveyed 34,330 people, ages 15 and above, from regions all
over the world. A Pew poll released this spring similarly found that
"large majorities in every country, except for the U.S., hold an
unfavorable opinion of Bush."

Bush supporters are also mistaken about the president's own positions
(a pattern of misapprehension that an earlier PIPA report also
documented). "Majorities incorrectly assumed that Bush supports
multilateral approaches to various international issues -- the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (69%), the treaty banning land mines
(72%); 51% incorrectly assumed he favors US participation in the Kyoto
treaty -- the principal international accord on global warming... Only
13% of supporters are aware that he opposes labor and environmental
standards in trade agreements -- 74% incorrectly believe that he favors
including labor and environmental standards in agreements on trade. In
all these cases, there is a recurring theme: majorities of Bush
supporters favor these positions, and they infer that Bush favors them
as well."

According to the report, this reality gap is something new in American
life. "So why do Bush supporters show such a resistance to accepting
dissonant information?" it asks. "While it is normal for people to show
some resistance, the magnitude of the denial goes beyond the ordinary.
Bush supporters have succeeded in suppressing awareness of the findings
of a whole series of high-profile reports about prewar Iraq that have
been blazoned across the headlines of newspapers and prompted
extensive, high-profile and agonizing reflection. The fact that a large
portion of Americans say they are unaware that the original reasons
that the US took military action -- and for which Americans continue to
die on a daily basis -- are not turning out to be valid, are probably
not due to a simple failure to pay attention to the news."

The analysis says that the roots of this denial could lie in the
trauma of 9/11 and people's desire to hold on to their image of Bush as
a "capable protector." It offers no guidance, though, on how ordinary
Republicans might be coaxed back to reality.

And while "The Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters" may be
perversely satisfying to Democrats in its confirmation of blue-state
prejudices, it carries a pretty disturbing question for all rational
Americans: How can arguments based on fact prevail in a nation where so
many people know so little?

-- Michelle Goldberg

[Joolz]

This is a truly frightening report, Rick. I've seen and heard this kind of thinking in people, and it has been totally baffling me. I'm 50 years old and I have NEVER seen anything like this. So, the authors of this report seem to think this is some sort of cognitive dissonance with its roots in trauma associated with 9/11? That makes sense in a way. But then, yeah, what do we DO about it? Half the nation needs therapy! We are in deep trouble, methinks. I already knew that, of course, but this report confirms it in no uncertain terms.

[Cherry Kelly]

Rick - well hmm

I wonder what will be coming out this week? October surprise --
Since you like conspiracy theories -- try this one on for size.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/mark ... 1023.shtml

(SO ok opinion?? or are some of the implications factual - will it hit the major media this week and if so - will anything come of it?)

blind leading the blind or is it that there are things hidden that maybe the Dems don't want to get out in the news?? hmmm

[Rombaldi]

and once again, the Parrot proves the original article correct...

[Cherry Kelly]

Rommie - read the article - come on I dare ya...

[Rombaldi]

actually I posted the article a few days ago...

showthread.php?s=&threadid=11702

The Majority of Shrub supporters are grossly misinformed, ignorant or just plain deluded (that's the readers digest version)

[Cherry Kelly]

Rom -- thats really funny cause guess what-- this article JUST came out... October 23, 2004

course I guess you can go ahead and ignore it if you want --

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Well, Cherry...there's nothing new in that article other than speculation that JK received a Dishonorable Discharge. You practically have to commit murder to get one of those. Anything less than honorable is considered a disgrace...even a General Discharge. I was not even aware that a record like that could be hidden.

Having said all that, it doesn't change anything about the validity of what I posted, or that even if Kerry HAD been dishonorably discharged some 30 years ago, he wouldn't be preferable to what we have now with the record deficits and piling debt, the outsourcing of jobs and lowering of the average wage, and, the issue I consider most important, the absolute fiends Bush intends to put on the Supreme Court.

Sorry about the Swift Boat Resentment against what Kerry said in hearings, but I absolutely know his words to have been the truth.

[Rombaldi]

Rom -- thats really funny cause guess what-- this article JUST came out... October 23, 2004

(looks up at original article... sees no link to original article, sees no date on article....)


(follows my link back to a date of Sept 29th...)

Parrot Kelly.. you do such a good job of point out how IGNORANT, BLIND and UNINFORMED Shrub supporters are...

thank you... so much...

you gunky.... (Bill Cosby reference)

[Corvid]

Rommie - read the article - come on I dare ya...

I read the gaddamn piece of caca...... is smear bullspit by the far reich.... and you... YOU... believe these lies?

btw... did you buy the ann coulter book the site advertizes?

Frelling pathetic.