These are the latest results of a Pew Research Poll that had previously shown a lesser gap but still a very decided gap between Republicans and Democrats. The gap is growing and in fact, according to the latest survey the difference is astonishing:
Republicans generally outperformed Democrats on the current quiz. On 13 of the 19 questions, Republicans score significantly higher than Democrats and there are no questions on which Democrats did better than Republicans. In past knowledge quizzes, partisan differences have been more muted, though Republicans often have scored somewhat higher than Democrats.
And part of the reason the gap is growing is because as people break through the media blockade and find things out for themselves, they abandon the Democrats where only the least informed remain. I suspect the same is here with Libs versus the ALP.
Source for these results: Some interesting investigation in the comments with the source of these results now tracked down by Cold-Hands to a survey conducted in October 2011. The quotation is, however, exactly as it was printed in the Pew Survey so unless there has been some massive change in their knowledge base, the conclusions are exactly as stated above.
Wait a minute, the Dem’s have been forwarding this on emails for years. It proves Dem voters are smarter as it is unsubstantiated dodgy data (like Glow-ball Warming).
Of course it was proven to be a fraud, but Lefties still sent it around as they like the message more than the truth.
Token
22 Oct 12 at 10:52 pm
Lefties like it as they believe it proves Dem voters are smarter
aseven though it is unsubstantiated dodgy data (like Glow-ball Warming).Token
22 Oct 12 at 11:06 pm
It’s absurd to say this of the people who nominated Joe Biden in 2008.
A heartbeat away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jf17Yo7hBM
C.L.
22 Oct 12 at 11:11 pm
Steve,
Do you have a link to the poll itself? I can’t find it on the Pew site.
This one was interesting, though. The political background data on the site is comprehensive, if on first appearance a ‘little’ skewed.
Andrew Reynolds
22 Oct 12 at 11:19 pm
Leftism is emotion-based.
Honest rational analysis of the ideology that underpins it destroys it.
It’s also the predominant cultural ideology; it takes steady nerves, honesty and a proudly rational being to oppose cultural norms.
Breitbart(RIP) knew the cultural predominance has to be destroyed else there is no future.
JamesK
22 Oct 12 at 11:22 pm
La Nina = drought in the US. Once this El Nino cycle kicks in that poll will head south.
Token
22 Oct 12 at 11:29 pm
Oh, dear. CL, I’ve never seen that footage. Oh, dear.
dover_beach
22 Oct 12 at 11:29 pm
“And part of the reason the gap is growing is because as people break through the media blockade and find things out for themselves, they abandon the Democrats where only the least informed remain.”
I wonder what the real reason is. Going back a link, we find this:
Are Republicans simply better educated on average?
Jarrah
22 Oct 12 at 11:37 pm
It seems to be this poll from September 30th- October 11th 2011. A more recent poll (March 29- April 1st, 2012), gives similar results although the Dems outshade the GOP in one question.
Cold-Hands
22 Oct 12 at 11:43 pm
Andrew – I did a quick look myself and this is the best I could find:
http://pewresearch.org/politicalquiz/
The poll date seems to be 26-29 July.
Steve Kates
22 Oct 12 at 11:43 pm
I saw that, but it does not fit the description well – it is only 11 questions and the Dem supporters actually won on one question; the one about young immigrant staying. Interestingly, the Repubs also beat the independents on most (other than the one on Super PACs).
I like to go to the source to verify, but I can’t see that one there. Perhaps the full results aren’t out yet, but I think that would be unusual.
Maybe they just don’t like the outcome.
Andrew Reynolds
23 Oct 12 at 12:03 am
This one is disappointing, though.
http://www.people-press.org/2012/06/04/partisan-polarization-surges-in-bush-obama-years/
Andrew Reynolds
23 Oct 12 at 12:07 am
No, the quoted phrase appears in the discussion of the September 30th- October 11th 2011 poll, so it’s not Pew’s “latest results” on this. All of the polls now link to the current 11 question quiz, not to the actual poll itself.
Cold-Hands
23 Oct 12 at 12:10 am
Yeh that could be right. It might be an artifact caused by the demographic differences between voting patterns for the two parties.
On the other hand, you see other surveys claiming to prove the opposite, so who knows what to think.
dd
23 Oct 12 at 12:14 am
Small problem with this survey. Respondents self-selected online – which means it is not statistically representative of the general population or of registered voters and no reliable conclusions about Dems or Reps can be drawn.
cg
23 Oct 12 at 12:36 am
Razib found something similar with science.
benson
23 Oct 12 at 12:37 am
Alan Weiss also nails it with this comment, that applies to both the USA and Australia. Respect being the key word
Aussieute
23 Oct 12 at 6:07 am
This is the problem with the left – “A growing body of psychology research shows that incompetence deprives people of the ability to recognize their own incompetence.” See Swan, W.
MACK1
23 Oct 12 at 9:21 am
No it was not a self-selected survey. The poll examples that are linked don’t even ask for political affiliation and are not counted in the aggregated results.
Cold-Hands
23 Oct 12 at 9:27 am
Cold-Hands,
It just shows why it is important to go to the source on these things, rather than relying on what you see on a blog.
Andrew Reynolds
23 Oct 12 at 12:29 pm
[...] Republicans better informed than Democrats and it’s not even close [...]
keeping informed … | pindanpost
23 Oct 12 at 2:25 pm