Saturday, October 02, 2010
Polling ignorance: Who "knows" less, Democrats or Republicans?
In most college towns, including this one, it is an article of faith that Democrats are "smarter" than Republicans. Props to Charles Blow of the New York Times -- I know, but we are nothing if not fair and balanced -- for putting that myth to bed, at least when it comes to basic facts about the current regime.
MORE: Tom Maguire:
Keep in mind that if Rush Limbaugh read those statistics [relating to political knowledge and race/ethnicity] on the air, Blow would be the first to denounce his racism.
Yup.
6 Comments:
By 
, at
Sat Oct 02, 01:21:00 PM:
It won't make any difference. Wasn't it the NYT that determined the Tea Party demographics closely matched the overall demographics of the US? Did that tidbit silence the accusations of racism, or the endless mantra of "overwhelmingly white?"
By , at
Sat Oct 02, 08:30:00 PM:
"In most college towns, including this one, it is an article of faith that Democrats are "smarter" than Republicans"
I wish you'd shut up about this. The right's single biggest advantage in politics is the left's belief that conservatives are stupid.
By , at
Sun Oct 03, 09:29:00 AM:
The numbers are close enough to each other for, umm, government work. What's dismaying to me is how low the numbers are for all three groups.
Eric Hines
By 
JPMcT, at
Sun Oct 03, 02:34:00 PM:
Who needs studies...just listen to the speeches at the One Nation rally and compare them to Beck's 8/28 rally...and...err...look at how much trash (literal and fifurative) was present at one and absent at the other.
Nice little case study.
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Sun Oct 03, 05:57:00 PM:
Only partly agree with E Hines. The Biden question is indeed not enough of a difference to matter.
My explanation for the "control" issue is that for many Democrats this is an emotional, feeling question rather than arithmetic. We are still being sold the line that Republicans are ruining or blocking everything; thus, they are powerful enough to do what they want; thus, they must be in control of congress.
The attitude of "you're not letting me do what I want so you're controlling me" is classic narcissism, of course.
By , at
Mon Oct 04, 10:16:00 PM:
I recall from the 2008 election that 30% of voters polled (I think using exit polling) believed the Republicans still controlled both Houses when they lost both in 2006.
/andycanuck
