Birthers And Deathers -- The Same People?
Some advance Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll data has some very interesting information on the "death panel" belief among Republicans, Greg Sargent reports -- showing some potential overlap with another right-wing belief, that of the Birthers.
The poll asked this question: "Do you think the health care reform plan being considered by President Obama and Congress creates 'death panels' which have the authority to subjectively determine whether or not a gravely ill or injured person should receive health care based on their 'level of productivity in society'?"
Among Republicans, 26% said yes, the health plan does create death panels, with 43% saying no, and 31% not sure.
Now compare that to a Kos/R2K poll from two weeks ago, asking people whether President Obama was born in the United States. Among Republicans, it was 42% yes, 28% no, 30% undecided.
In these two sets, the percentages of Republicans who are Birthers or are Deathers are statistically indistinguishable from each other, as too are the undecided and sane positions.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Gee, what a shock.
August 17, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm stunned that the racists have common ground.
August 17, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup, yup, it's about wanting my country back - you betcha **wink, wink**
August 17, 2009 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
With 22% of the voting age population self-identifying as republicans, the lunatics who believe Obama was not born in the USA and in "death panels" amount to roughly 6% of the voting age population.
I'm guessing the 6% is roughly the same as the portion of the voting age population that rode the black helicopter; the Clintons killed Vince Foster; stop the UN; Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson were communists, and etc. hobby horses.
They certainly receive an inordinate amount of media coverage, both from the old and new media, including here at TPM.
August 17, 2009 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm suprised the NRA hasn't made any comments regarding these folks.
They have to know that once one of these nutbags(inevitably) goes over the line there would be a publicity problem for them and their advocacy of brandishing their surrogate genitalia.
August 17, 2009 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
This whole thing would be a lot more interesting (and a lot less scary) if they would just brandish their real genitalia. Can't we do that instead?
August 17, 2009 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Will need a powerful elecronmicrosope to determine there's not much there....
August 17, 2009 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is sort of weak reporting. The fact that the same number of people in two different polls support two different positions doesn't mean they're the same people.
Common sense suggests it in this case, but these stats don't prove it. I was hoping Eric would have access to some additional demographic data or something beyond the simple topline number.
August 17, 2009 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure it is weak, but we do KNOW they are the same people ;)
August 17, 2009 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. Polls use random samples. The probability that the respondents from one poll are the same in a second poll taken at a different date are extremely small.
August 17, 2009 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Probably also correspond well with those who still think the Clintons killed Vince Foster.
August 18, 2009 2:15 AM | Reply | Permalink