Republicans are dirtbags, too!
If there’s ever one article which I want you to read, it’s the results below of this newly-released poll.
Markos Moulitsas is the founder of the DailyKos, a widely-read liberal blog and one which I frequently read. Research 2000 is an independent polling company that does all the polling for DailyKos. Markos hired Research 2000 to do a large polled of “self-identified” Republicans and supplied Research 2000 only with the questions he wanted asked. His involvement in the poll ended there.
Here is Bill O’Reilly’s and Karl Rove’s attack of the poll. Strangely enough, they themselves think the results show Republicans to be “stupid and evil”. They never attack the poll on merit but attack Markos personally and assume that there’s an improper relationship between DailyKos and Research 2000. They also imply that Research 2000 greatly missed the Scott Brown election — a factually inaccurate statement.
Research 2000 has a good track record and there’s no reason at all to presume that the actual responses would fall outside the poll’s margin of error. Plus, the entire procedure, questions, and crosstabs have all been released. And, I wouldn’t personally be surprised if another organization is currently making the same poll to compare responses.
This is another site that covers the poll results in an easier-to-read fashion, and I found the comments section to be highly interesting. Many readers ask — and are later answered — questions that you may have.
Here’s where I truly see the usefulness in this poll: Many people, especially of the generations older than myself, have legitimate memories and experiences of the Republican party that may be different than the party is today. I know I have family members, close and distant, and neighbors and acquaintances who truly believe they’re Republican out of habit or myth or outdated information.
The results of this poll should kindle some healthy cynicism, if not outright anger, toward a party that has not only permitted itself but outrightly encouraged itself to become a den of paranoia. Our government cannot function properly with only 1 party, and it is not the job of the opposition party to simply oppose everything for the sake of opposing everything (which the GOP is currently doing — links on this tomorrow).
Yet, this is what has happened. The GOP is obviously not interested in governing. It’s only interested in consolidation of (and return to) power and the fall of Obama. If you’re Republican and are sane, please call your Senators and demand some real governance which, tough as it may be for you, implies compromise. (It wasn’t reported on Fox, but the Democrats have already compromised numerous times with the GOP on many issues — including a third of the stimulus and many provisions within the attempted healtcare bill.)
-nick
