Friday, October 22, 2004
Study finds Bush supporters are idiots
- 72% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq had actual WMD or a major program for developing them
- 56% percent assume that most experts believe Iraq had actual WMD
- 57% also assume, incorrectly, that Duelfer concluded Iraq had at least a major WMD program
- 75% continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda
- 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found
- 60% assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts
- 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission
Kerry supporters hold opposite beliefs on all these points
- Only 31% of Bush supporters recognize that the majority of people in the world oppose the US having gone to war with Iraq
- 42% percent assume that views are evenly divided
- 26% assume that the majority approves.
Among Kerry supporters, 74% assume that the majority of the world is opposed.
- 57% of Bush supporters assume that the majority of people in the world would favor Bush's reelection
- 33% assumed that views are evenly divided
- 9% assumed that Kerry would be preferred
A recent poll by GlobeScan and PIPA of 35 of the major countries around the world found that in 30, a majority or plurality favored Kerry, while in just 3 Bush was favored. On average, Kerry was preferred more than two to one.
- 69% incorrectly assume that Bush supports the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
- 72% incorrectly assume that Bush supports the treaty banning land mines
- 51% incorrectly assume he favors US participation in the Kyoto treaty
- 66% incorrectly assume that Bush supports International Criminal Court before the debate
- 53% incorrectly assume that Bush supports International Criminal Court after he denounced it in the debate
- 74% incorrectly assumes that he favors including labor and environmental standards in trade agreements
In all these cases, majorities of Bush supporters favor the positions they impute to Bush. Kerry supporters are much more accurate in their perceptions of his positions on these issues.
