But then maybe you will. A recent poll of Republicans shows that 63% believe Barack Obama is a socialist; 53% believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President; 77% oppose same-sex marriage, with smaller majorities opposing benefits for gay couples and not wanting to see gays teach in public schools or serve in the military; 77% (perhaps the same bunch) believe that the biblical creation story should be taught in public schools; and 76% view abortion as murder while an additional 15% support the death penalty.
The demographics say a lot about those who hold these opinions: the largest age group is over 60, and 42% of those polled live in the South – which may skew the statistics, but has a lot to say about the South today. While it may seem unfair to stereotype an entire region, it’s pretty obvious that the South is crawling with wingnuts. During the presidential race, the NYT reported on how Southerners perceived Obama – which by and large was with suspicion – and that perception doesn’t seem to have changed. Did anyone expect it to? Just because some C&W singers wear their hair longer than used to be seen on the Grand Ole Opry doesn’t make the place any less scary for outsiders with inappropriate worldviews than Easy Rider depicted it.
I don’t begrudge people their opinions, but misperceptions of a president’s politics and a wannabe’s qualifications – not to mention defending creationism – speak to lack of knowledge more than anything. W, himself a Southerner, touted “No Child Left Behind”; maybe he should have been more supportive of adult education.
The demographics say a lot about those who hold these opinions: the largest age group is over 60, and 42% of those polled live in the South – which may skew the statistics, but has a lot to say about the South today. While it may seem unfair to stereotype an entire region, it’s pretty obvious that the South is crawling with wingnuts. During the presidential race, the NYT reported on how Southerners perceived Obama – which by and large was with suspicion – and that perception doesn’t seem to have changed. Did anyone expect it to? Just because some C&W singers wear their hair longer than used to be seen on the Grand Ole Opry doesn’t make the place any less scary for outsiders with inappropriate worldviews than Easy Rider depicted it.
I don’t begrudge people their opinions, but misperceptions of a president’s politics and a wannabe’s qualifications – not to mention defending creationism – speak to lack of knowledge more than anything. W, himself a Southerner, touted “No Child Left Behind”; maybe he should have been more supportive of adult education.
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