The Daily Kos Republican Poll was conducted by Research 2000 from January 20 through January 31, 2010. A total of 2003 self identified Republicans were interviewed nationally by telephone. Those interviewed were selected by the random variation of the last four digits of telephone numbers, nationally.Here’s one striking result (one of the 25 questions):
The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than plus or minus 2% percentage points. This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the "true" figure would fall within that range if the entire self identified Republican population were sampled. The margin for error is higher for any demographic subgroup, such as for gender or region.
QUESTION: Should public school students be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
So: 77% (give or take 2%) of Republicans think public school students should be taught, well, Creationism..............YES...... NO..... NOT SURE
All ...........77 .....15 .........8
Men .........79 .....14......... 7
Women..... 75 .....16.........9
White .......79 .....13......... 8
Other/... ...58 .....31......... 11
18-29 .......74 .....19......... 7
30-44 .......75 .....17......... 8
45-59 .......78 .....15......... 7
60+..........78 .....13......... 9
NE............70 .....23..........7
South........82 ......9.......... 9
MW ..........77 .....14......... 9
West........ 72 .....21......... 7
Def ..........78 .....14......... 8
Vote ........77 .....15......... 8
Not L .......76 .....18......... 6
Def Not.... 75..... 19......... 6
Not Sur ....75 .....19......... 6
Wow.
Genesis: “And the LORD smelled a sweet savor”
From Genesis, The Holy Bible: King James VersionAnd God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
. . .
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
. . .
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
. . .
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
. . .
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet [sic?] for him.
. . .
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
. . .
And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth
. . .
Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
. . .
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
. . .
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savor….
Other results of the poll (of self-described Republicans):
• 58% either thought Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. or aren’t sure.
• 57% either think Obama “wants the terrorists to win” or aren’t sure.
• 76% either think ACORN “stole the 2008 election” or aren’t sure.
• 86% either think Sarah Palin is “more qualified to be President than Barack Obama” or aren’t sure.
• 64% either think Barack Obama “hates White people” or aren’t sure.
• 42% either think their “state should secede from the U.S.” or aren’t sure.
Comments:
Anonymous said...
It's stupid to believe in the Bible?
9:34 PM, February 06, 2010
Anonymous said...
It's stupid to imagine that the Bible - oh, well, nevermind.
10:04 PM
Anonymous said...
Not to pick nits, but, exactly what does the book of Genesis explain, if not how God created the world? That's not to say it correctly explains, or scientifically explains, just that it explains. So, if there is to be any teaching of the Bible in school (say in a literature class, a comparative religion class, whatever), I think the majority of the 2,003 self-identifed Republicans are clearly right to say school kid should be taught that this is what the book of Genesis says. They should also be taught that War and Peace explains Napoleon's Russian adventure. Again, maybe not correctly, but that is what the book does. For a self proclaimed logician, Roy, your conclusion from the question polled, that Republicans believe "Creationism" should be taught, just doesn't follow. Focus. And lighten up.
10:49 PM
B. von Traven said...
10:49, Well, yes, it is possible that some of the self-described Republicans read the question as you suggest. You seem to ignore the manifest ambiguity of “explains” in the question, for surely the question can also be read as asking whether students should be taught that the Bible correctly explains how God created the world. I suspect that that is how it was read by most participants. After all, according to the poll, 58% either thought Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. or aren’t sure. [!!!!] 57% either think Obama “wants the terrorists to win” or aren’t sure. [!!!!] 76% either think ACORN “stole the 2008 election” or aren’t sure. [!!!!] 86% either think Sarah Palin is “more qualified to be President than Barack Obama” or aren’t sure. [!!!!] 64% either think Barack Obama “hates White people” or aren’t sure. [!!!!] 42% either think their “state should secede from the U.S.” or aren’t sure. [!!!!] Again, I say: stupid people. Also, I think you're a little tone deaf. The post was light-hearted, not heavy. I don't really think these people are "flat stupid." They're just stunningly, appallingly ignorant. I.e., "stupid people."
11:22 PM
Anonymous said...
Don't you just love it when people say, "Not to pick nits," and then they proceed to--pick nits? Yeah, right. These Republicans were thinking, "Well, we don't care if you say Genesis is the truth or not--just that there's this book, Genesis, and it gives this explanation! You know, like Gilgamesh and Br'er Rabbit!" Yeah.
11:36 PM
Anonymous said...
Roy, that's probably not how it was read by most participants. You only think so -- or pretend to think so -- because you start from the proposition that Republicans are stupid. Why else would they be Republicans, right? Tone deaf you say? The post was light hearted? Goodness. How jolly to be called "flat stupid." I thought "name-calling is not argumentation, unless we're having a really slow day. But if you must call people names, please be clever about it." What a clever jokester you are. You called the results "striking." As in jarring, appalling, unsettling, disturbing, somehow revealing a fundamental truth that Republicans are flat stupid and support Creationism. Thanks for the yucks. Face it, logic guy, you drew an unwarranted and unfair conclusion and are now seeking cover behind the lame response that you were "just kidding."
11:40 PM
Anonymous said...
By the way, Roy, I'm not the one ignoring any ambiguity. I pointed out the ambiguity by explaining the alternative reading. YOU are the one who posted the bad poll with the bad question in it and then drew a conclusion that does not follow because of that ambiguity. YOU ignored it to malign Republicans. But it was all in good fun, huh?
11:49 PM
Anonymous said...
Oh, and not to pick nits, 11:36, but if Roy can use his subtle and lighthearted humor, as he so successfully did here, I can use understatement. Sorry that you missed it. I hope you at least got Roy's clever joke. Yeah.
11:55 PM
B. von Traven said...
Uh-oh, the Incorrigible One is back. Like a dog with a bone.
12:10 AM, February 07, 2010
Anonymous said...
Good answer, Roy. You tell 'em. Kill 'em with humor.
12:13 AM
Anonymous said...
If this poll is even roughly accurate, it is disturbing. The methodology seems sound. I am amazed. 64% either think Barack Obama “hates White people” or aren’t sure! A majority thinks that Obama might want the "terrorists to win"?! Where is this crap coming from?
12:17 AM
Anonymous said...
The poll is very disheartening.
8:43 AM
Anonymous said...
Gosh, if they're so sure that Obama was lying about his origins, faith, etc - where was the outcry when he was elected to the Senate?
11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
"Revealing a fundamental truth that Republicans are flat stupid and support Creationism." Well, this is pretty much correct, isn't it? When there's an attack on [a] dictionary in a school library, or a diatribe against the "homosexual agenda," or a demand that creationism be taught as if it's actually scientific, which party is being represented?
11:51 AM
Anonymous said...
Yuck, 11:40. "Tone-deaf" is putting it mildly. As usual, Roy takes the high road when your venom comes flying, while you unfailingly take the low road. Please get lost. There're plenty of blogs that would never dream of criticizing Republicans. Do go there, please.
1:57 PM
alannah said...
Dare I hope that this poll somehow had an unsuspected selection bias toward ignorant people and/or fundamentalist Christians and/or conspiracy theory lovers? How was the survey done?
I'm really hoping this is not a true cross-section of Republicans (and before anybody can say anything, no, I do not intend that as a pun).
3:44 PM
17 comments:
It's stupid to believe in the Bible?
It's stupid to imagine that the Bible - oh, well, nevermind.
Not to pick nits, but, exactly what does the book of Genesis explain, if not how God created the world? That's not to say it correctly explains, or scientifically explains, just that it explains. So, if there is to be any teaching of the Bible in school (say in a literature class, a comparative religion class, whatever), I think the majority of the 2,003 self-identifed Republicans are clearly right to say school kid should be taught that this is what the book of Genesis says. They should also be taught that War and Peace explains Napoleon's Russian adventure. Again, maybe not correctly, but that is what the book does.
For a self proclaimed logician, Roy, your conclusion from the question polled, that Republicans believe "Creationism" should be taught, just doesn't follow. Focus. And lighten up.
10:49, Well, yes, it is possible that some of the self-described Republicans read the question as you suggest.
You seem to ignore the manifest ambiguity of “explains” in the question, for surely the question can also be read as asking whether students should be taught that the Bible correctly explains how God created the world. I suspect that that is how it was read by most participants.
After all, according to the poll,
58% either thought Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. or aren’t sure. [!!!!]
57% either think Obama “wants the terrorists to win” or aren’t sure. [!!!!]
76% either think ACORN “stole the 2008 election” or aren’t sure. [!!!!]
86% either think Sarah Palin is “more qualified to be President than Barack Obama” or aren’t sure. [!!!!]
64% either think Barack Obama “hates White people” or aren’t sure. [!!!!]
42% either think their “state should secede from the U.S.” or aren’t sure. [!!!!]
Again, I say: stupid people.
Also, I think you're a little tone deaf. The post was light-hearted, not heavy. I don't really think these people are "flat stupid." They're just stunningly, appallingly ignorant.
I.e., "stupid people."
Don't you just love it when people say, "Not to pick nits," and then they proceed to--pick nits?
Yeah, right. These Republicans were thinking, "Well, we don't care if you say Genesis is the truth or not--just that there's this book, Genesis, and it gives this explanation! You know, like Gilgamesh and Br'er Rabbit!"
Yeah.
Roy, that's probably not how it was read by most participants. You only think so -- or pretend to think so -- because you start from the proposition that Republicans are stupid. Why else would they be Republicans, right?
Tone deaf you say? The post was light hearted? Goodness. How jolly to be called "flat stupid." I thought "name-calling is not argumentation, unless we're having a really slow day. But if you must call people names, please be clever about it."
What a clever jokester you are. You called the results "striking." As in jarring, appalling, unsettling, disturbing, somehow revealing a fundamental truth that Republicans are flat stupid and support Creationism. Thanks for the yucks.
Face it, logic guy, you drew an unwarranted and unfair conclusion and are now seeking cover behind the lame response that you were "just kidding."
By the way, Roy, I'm not the one ignoring any ambiguity. I pointed out the ambiguity by explaining the alternative reading. YOU are the one who posted the bad poll with the bad question in it and then drew a conclusion that does not follow because of that ambiguity. YOU ignored it to malign Republicans. But it was all in good fun, huh?
Oh, and not to pick nits, 11:36, but if Roy can use his subtle and lighthearted humor, as he so successfully did here, I can use understatement. Sorry that you missed it. I hope you at least got Roy's clever joke.
Yeah.
Uh-oh, the Incorrigible One is back.
Like a dog with a bone.
Good answer, Roy. You tell 'em. Kill 'em with humor.
If this poll is even roughly accurate, it is disturbing. The methodology seems sound. I am amazed.
64% either think Barack Obama “hates White people” or aren’t sure! A majority thinks that Obama might want the "terrorists to win"?! Where is this crap coming from?
The poll is very disheartening.
Gosh, if they're so sure that Obama was lying about his origins, faith, etc - where was the outcry when he was elected to the Senate?
"Revealing a fundamental truth that Republicans are flat stupid and support Creationism."
Well, this is pretty much correct, isn't it? When there's an attack on dictionary in a school library, or a diatribe against the "homosexual agenda," or a demand that creationism be taught as if it's actually scientific, which party is being repreented?
Yuck, 11:40. "Tone-deaf" is putting it mildly. As usual, Roy takes the high road when your venom comes flying, while you unfailingly take the low road. Please get lost. There're plenty of blogs that would never dream of criticizing Republicans.
Do go there, please.
Dare I hope that this poll somehow had an unsuspected selection bias toward ignorant people and/or fundamentalist Christians and/or conspiracy theory lovers? How was the survey done?
I'm really hoping this is not a true cross-section of Republicans (and before anybody can say anything, no, I do not intend that as a pun).
Alannah:
I do believe that the pollster in question--Research 2000--is respected and reliable. Their methods are explained in the body of my post (two paragraphs). Over two thousands people were contacted, having been chosen based on some sort of randomization of phone numbers. They claim a MoE of 2%.
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