In the Olbermann video in yesterday’s lead article, I learned that Daily Kos has commissioned a poll on Republican beliefs. You can take it to the bank that this was the first thing I sought in this morning’s research. Here, my friends, is the heart and soul of the GOP in all their teabagging glory:
…I found myself making certain claims about Republicans that I didn't know if they could be backed up. So I thought, "why don't we ask them directly?" And so, this massive poll, by non-partisan independent pollster Research 2000 of over 2,000 self-identified Republicans, was born.
The results are nothing short of startling.
It's a long poll, so the results are summarized below the fold. For a direct link to the poll's crosstabs, click here.
Ultimately, these results explain why it is impossible for elected Republicans to work with Democrats to improve our country. Their base are conspiracy mongers who don't believe Obama was born in the United States, that he is the second coming of Lenin, and that he is racist against white people. They already want to impeach him despite the glaringly obvious lack of high crimes or misdemeanors. If any Republican strays and decides to do the right thing and try to work in a bipartisan fashion, they suffer primaries and attacks. Even the Maine twins have quit cooperating out of fear of their homegrown teabaggers.
Given what their base demands, and this poll illustrates them perfectly, it's no wonder the GOP is the party of no.
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Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 1/20-31. Self-identified Republicans. MoE 2% (No trend lines)
OBAMA and AMERICA
Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not?
Yes 39
No 32
Not Sure 29
For what? Who the heck knows. Who needs high crimes or misdemeanors when...
Do you think Barack Obama is a socialist?
Yes 63
No 21
Not Sure 16
That's the power of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, after one year of relentlessly claiming Obama is the second coming of Lenin ... and Hitler!
Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States, or not?
Yes 42
No 36
Not Sure 22
We still have over a half of Republicans who don't think Obama was born in the US or think it's a matter open to debate.
Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win?
Yes 24
No 43
Not Sure 33
Not just a quarter of Republicans believe this ludicrous premise, but another third think it's a matter open to debate. How do you negotiate with a party whose rank and file are that divorced from reality? And speaking of divorced from reality...
Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election?
Yes 21
No 24
Not Sure 55
One in five Republicans think ACORN is so powerful as to magically make 10 million votes appear. Another 55 are open to the theory. In other words, just 24 percent of Republicans have an even passing relationship with reality.
Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama?
Yes 53
No 14
Not Sure 33
Sigh...
Do you believe Barack Obama is a racist who hates White people?
Yes 31
No 36
Not Sure 33
I bet more people think Obama is racist, but were too afraid to tell a live operator the truth
Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?
Yes 23
No 58
Not Sure 19
42 percent of Republicans aren't really patriotic. They pretend to love America only when they approve of the president. These traitors don't believe in democracy, in our nation's founding ideals, or in our flag. To them, those colors run. They are cowards.
Note, secession sentiment is MUCH stronger in the South than elsewhere -- 33 percent want out, compared to just 52 percent who want to stay. In the Northeast, "just" 10 percent want out, in the Midwest, its 18 percent, and in the West, it's 16 percent. Can we cram them all into the Texas Panhandle, create the state of Dumbfuckistan, and build a wall around them to keep them from coming into America illegally?
ISSUES
Should Congress make it easier for workers to form and join labor unions?
Yes 7
No 68
Not Sure 25
Would you favor or oppose giving illegal immigrants now living in the United States the right to live here legally if they pay a fine and learn English?
Favor 26
Oppose 59
Not Sure 15
Do you support the death penalty?
Yes 91
No 4
Not Sure 5
GAYS
Should openly gay men and women be allowed to serve in the military?
Yes 26
No 55
Not Sure 19
Should same sex couples be allowed to marry?
Yes 7
No 77
Not Sure 16
Should gay couples receive any state or federal benefits?
Yes 11
No 68
Not Sure 21
Should openly gay men and women be allowed to teach in public schools?
Yes 8
No 73
Not Sure 19
Oof. That's some serious neanderthal action going on. Gays can't serve their country, teach children, get married, or even have civil unions. That's the GOP agenda for gays, which makes the existence of the Log Cabin Republicans that much more of a mystery.
SCHOOLS
Should sex education be taught in the public schools?
Yes 42
No 51
Not Sure 7
Should public school students be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
Yes 77
No 15
Not Sure 8
In all of these questions, respondents from the South are slightly crazier, and those from the Northeast slightly less crazier, than the average. In these two questions, the differences are particularly exaggerated. In the South, the sex-ed question comes out 39-56, compared to 47-45 in the Northwest. For the creationism question, it's 82-9 in the South, compared to 70-23 in the Northwest.
I must admit, however, that I expected fewer Republicans to back sex ed. Another big surprise:
WOMEN
Are marrigiages equal partnerships, or are men the leaders of their households?
Men 13
Equal 76
Not Sure 11
Should women work outside the home?
Yes 86
No 4
Not Sure 10
Phyllis Schlafly is crying. That looks a lot more enlightened than I expected, likely because the economic reality is that few people can get away with single-income homes. But whatever the reason, on this front, there's progress. But that's where the progress ends:
Should contraceptive use be outlawed?
Yes 31
No 56
Not Sure 13
Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion?
Yes 34
No 48
Not Sure 18
Do you consider abortion to be murder?
Yes 76
No 8
Not Sure 16
Over a third of Republicans believe the birth control pill is abortion, which explains why nearly a third of them want contraceptive use outlawed. This is so wingnutty, it's hardly believable. But it's true, just a bare majority oppose outlawing contraceptives.
What we didn't ask was whether the 76 percent who consider abortion to be murder would advocate executions for women who have them. Since 91 percent of respondents support the death penalty.
One last question:
Do you believe that the only way for an individual to go to heaven is though Jesus Christ, or can one make it to heaven through another faith?
Christ 67
Other 15
Not Sure 18
Two-thirds of Republicans assume anyone that is not a Christian is going to hell. It certainly makes it easier for them to dehumanize their enemies, either real or perceived... [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
The embedded commentary is that of Markos Moulitsas. I have little to add, except to say that this verifies what I’ve been saying all along. In the GOP, the lunatic fringe has become the base.
On the off chance that a sane Republican should happen to read this, I am not painting ALL Republicans with this brush. But please consider the company you’re keeping. Your party is not a sane venue anymore.
Off topic, please read the next two articles. It’s a red letter day for GOP goose steppers to prove that they are idiots.
21 comments:
Well there goes the benefit if doubt I was giving them. The president with good reason now has to take the gloves off in the campaign season. It really, unfortunately, must become a top political priority if he is going to get anything done.
I wasn't scared (just worried) until I read this. Now I'm scared.
I suspect the only reason why so many of them favor women having jobs is that they want Palin to be Persident.
They're serious and that's the scary part. And there's no changing minds not even one. This is getting nastier on a daily basis.
this poll needs to be ALL over blogland, every blogger should post this!!
This poll proves it: Republicans are completely out of their minds.
I agree Mark. It also underlines the importance of mot allowing these people in power.
Pauline, I understand.
Infidel, that and to be able to afford beer.
Fly, that's certainly correct. We need to keep Democrats, problematic as they are, in power.
Amen, Jack!
No surprises here. The vast propaganda machinery of the Reich Wing has done its job. Almost half the population are semi-literate, politically ignorant, unsocialized dupes lulled into believing FOX can be trusted to feed their feeble minds.
The dumbing down of America is not entirely accomplished yet, but the extent now evident is more than enough to allow the complete theft of our government.
And the proof is the utter absence or acknowledgment of the very word "corporatism" both in the media and from "conservative" Americans.
I'm not really surprised by the yes/no answers. I rather expected those - but the "not sures" - where the fuck have they been living, under a rock in Tora Bora?
TomCat, for whatever its worth, I want to share this comment posted earlier at the Zone:
"I hope my next comment doesn't come across as presumptuous, but I think a group blog such as this can function as a mini-grassroots think tank.
Case in point, conservative think-tanks outnumber their liberal counterparts by more than 4:1. Our side is doing a very bad job in crafting messages that resonate with the public.
Questions I have pondering for a long time: Why do progressives have a hard time framing their message? Why are tea baggers demonstrating against their own self-interest and arguing the case on behalf of plutocrats? Why are they not allied with us? How do Republicans turn their own policy failures into election victories?
We have good minds here. We can study this, talk about it, and make a contribution.
Its a damn shame. Here are some of us ... semi-retired or retired ... having spent our lives fighting the good fight ... yet finding ourselves losing the contest for progress? That is why I spend more time reading, studying, thinking, and blogging. I still hope one can make a difference."
the 'Obama is a socialist' results are especially irritating to me as a poli sci grad and actual social democrat (which is a kind of socialist). I can tell you as a real lefty that there is nothing 'socialist' about BHO. Nothing. Any person who knows what the word means would know that.
But here we go with the Repubs repeating that nonsense, and brain-dead fuckheads believing it must be true if so many people are saying it.
*sigh*
"Caution, tinfoil hat area" LOL.
Those people are so far gone, I don't think a tinfoil hat will help. A giant titanium helmet might be their only chance.
I'm glad this survey is making the rounds; I've seen it at a few other blogs.
Octo presents some good questions. I suppose the best explanation would be that humans are more primative, emotion based reactive creatures than they are rational sentient beings.
Fear and anger always serve as more efficient motivators than reasoned discourse.
The Reich Wing has had years of practice in the indoctrination of negative emotion reactive conditioning.
Most Republicans???
All Republicans is more like it because as long as you count yourself a Republican, it means you support the rest of twisted, frothing from the mouth Neanderthals. We all have a choice of doing good things and making a difference in this world, so all of the Republicans are responsible for the mess we are in, whether they be Tea Baggers, Birthers, Conservatives, Reaganites, Millerites...they are all just Repuglickers.
We have to keep plugging away, maybe one among us with come up with a message that will resonate and go viral across the country. Just calling them names and laughing at their lack of sentient thought is not enough. Like Octopus said: "I still hope one can make a difference." Difference makers usually come in ones.
The idea of Obama, a conservative politician, being a "socialist" makes me giggle.
Hiya Octo. What a great comment you received! I think a lot of the problem is that Republicans goose step in lock step, while organizing Democrats is like herding cats. Another part of the problem is that some elected Democrats are no better than Republicans. I do think, however, that there is common ground around which we can unite.
Stimpson, I appreciate that, as I lean to the social democrat side myself. While a firm believer in free enterprise, I think that natural monopolies should be administered for the common good rather than left to colluding oligopolies and government exists to level the playing field through strict regulation of corporate interests to protect individuals from corporations who abuse their economic power. On a scale where -5 is extreme liberal and +5 is extreme conservative, I rate Obama at +2.
LOL, Tom. I stand corrected.
Good thinking, Dave. That makes a lot of sense.
Teeluck, I actually believe that some sane folks are Republican by long tradition, but the party has moved from under them. They need to choose between party and sanity.
So true, Libhom. But Obama is well to the left of today's Republicans. So was Genghis Khan.
OOPS! Amen Glenda!!
"Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama?"
'course... as I said over at Sue's, she can see Russia from her house!
I heard or read recently that there are far more unwed mothers from the conservative sector than the more liberal groups. Lack of education (especially sex educ.), the belief that birth control is abortion/murder, and just plain stupidity can explain this.
It's amazing, Karen. Almost evry blogger I know is more qualified than Mooseolini.
That is correct, Tnlib. It's also interesting that abortions are more common in red states than elsewhere.
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