New poll says Bush voters Ignore reality

From JFH

Found this on another interesting blog. It is truly mind-boggling for those of us who live in the “reality-based community.” These findings are from a study of the differing perceptions of Bush and Kerry supporters, conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes and Knowledge Networks, based on polls conducted in September and October:

Even after the final report of Charles Duelfer to Congress saying that Iraq did not have a significant WMD program, 72% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq had actual WMD (47%) or a major program for developing them (25%). Fifty-six percent assume that most experts believe Iraq had actual WMD and 57% also assume, incorrectly, that Duelfer concluded Iraq had at least a major WMD program. Kerry supporters hold opposite beliefs on all these points.

Similarly, 75% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda, and 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found. Sixty percent of Bush supporters assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts, and 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission. Here again, large majorities of Kerry supporters have exactly opposite perceptions.

The report outlines numerous other misperceptions of Bush supporters on the president’s foreign policy. Why the resistance to information on the part of Bush supporters? Because they aren’t living in the realm of reality -- the president asserts, they believe. Another link to last Sunday’s NYTimes Magazine piece on W.’s messianic complex.