Jeb Bush's Flailing Campaign

While some in the GOP establishment may be worried, I am loving watching Jeb "Jebbie" Bush's campaign seemingly sink and head towards implosion.  The latest polls show Jebbie at only 4% among GOP voters despite his huge campain war chest.  Between his idiot remarks and no real plan other than his brother's failed policies, Jebbie has little to offer. Even the Christofascists who had near orgasms over his role in perpetuating the Terry Shiavo circus have moved on.  A piece in Salon looks at Jebbie's much deserved misfortunes.  Here are excerpts:

The Jeb Bush “Don’t Panic, Everything Is Fine” campaign is up and running. With his poll numbers in decline, Jeb is rolling out endorsements and assuring reporters that he’s meeting fundraising targets and will have plenty of money to take the Jeb 2016 machine all the way through the primary season. The arc of Jeb’s campaign is following a very Bush-like trajectory – he started the nominating contest with a “shock and awe” strategy of winning the primary early by scaring off all other pretenders; now he’s fighting off an unexpectedly resilient insurgency and promising that everything will work out in the end because he’s prepared to, ahem, stay the course.

To justify Jeb’s continued presence in the race, his campaign is making the argument that Bush’s path to victory is to wait for all the other candidates to fade or implode, which will clear the way for him to win the nomination through attrition . . . 

Right now he’s digging up oppo on two candidates who could conceivably siphon away his donors and establishment backers: Marco Rubio and John Kasich. And while Romney was viewed as “good enough” by conservatives, those same voters have made it pretty clear they have little respect or patience for another Bush.

That helps explain why Jeb, in the latest poll out from Pew, pulls in an absurdly low 4 percent of the Republican vote. That’s a worrisome enough sign for Jeb’s campaign, but when you dig into the poll’s internals, you start to see just how much trouble Jeb is in.

According to Pew, 66 percent of Republican voters say immigration is “very important” when deciding whom they’ll vote for in 2016, and 43 percent of Republican voters are more likely to support a candidate who promises to deport every undocumented immigrant in the country. . . . Jeb, who is a relative moderate on the issue and preaches tolerance for immigrants, barely registers among this group.

More worrisome for Jeb is the Republican electorate’s disdain for what is supposed to be his strongest selling point: his experience. According to Pew, just 29 percent of GOP voters say it’s more important for their candidate to have “experience and a proven record” than “new ideas and a different approach.”  

[W]hat reason do Jeb’s people have to think that voters will ultimately coalesce around their guy when there’s little indication he has anything the Republican electorate is looking for? Having sufficient money to compete doesn’t really do you much good if no one is willing to vote for you. 

I hope he continues to sink in the polls and puts a nail in the Bush political coffin.

Americans Fail Pew Test of Basic Political Knowledge

If you want to know why the Tea Party and Republican Party manage to remain forces in American politics, look no farther than a new  Pew Research Center News IQ survey that found a frightening number of Americans politically ignorant.   Of course, Fox News and the GOP like things that way.  Here are highlights from Politico on the survey findings:

Only one-in-three Americans knows how many women serve on the Supreme Court, but 91 percent can identify Martin Luther King Jr., 47 years after his assassination.

That’s according to the latest Pew Research Center News IQ survey released Tuesday, which tests how well the American public knows the world in words, maps and pictures.

Almost all millennials surveyed — 96 percent — could pick out King from a list of names that included Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson and Thurgood Marshall. Older generations could mostly identify the slain civil-rights leader, as 89 percent of Gen Xers, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation did.

But millennials apparently aren’t so great at identifying the current party makeup of the Senate. Only 47 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 were able to do so, compared to 52 percent overall. Those who described themselves as more politically engaged were more likely to know the upper chamber’s composition. (For the record, Republicans hold 54 seats; Democrats 44 seats; and Independents two seats.)

[O]nly 51 percent could recognize Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren from a series of four photos with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

Education levels again factored into the responses, but Pew notes that half or more respondents with a high school education answered eight of the quiz’s 12 questions correctly. Among college graduates and post-graduate degree holders, most answered 11 out of 12 correctly.

Pew Study: Influence of Religion is Waning; 1/3 Of Republicans Oppose GOP Gay Marriage Stance

It's no secret that I believe religion is a toxic element in society - both here in America and across the globe.  While some try to point to charity work done by religious bodies to argue that religion is no a source of evil, if one totals up the deaths world wide from religious strife, especially over the centuries, and the hate and division that religion breeds, those "good works" pale in comparison to the carnage.  And not surprisingly, the Abrahamic religions seem to lead the way in their toxicity.   In the political realm, the GOP's opposition to marriage equality is seeing more Republicans complain that the GOP is too conservative.  And Catholic support for gay marriage suggests that the issue is a loser for the GOP, especially among Hispanic Catholics (the Vatican hopefully is paying attention) Commonweal looks at some of the new findings.  Here are highlights:

Yesterday Pew Research released the results of a new survey of public attitudes on the place of religion in political life. The major finding, as you may have seen, is that nearly three-quarters of Americans now say the influence of religion is waning. That figure is up more than twenty points--from 51 percent to 71--since 2001, when Pew first began measuring the trend.

Pew's research turned up a bunch of interesting findings related to same-sex marriage. Some of that data may surprise you, as it may prove frustrating to leading opponents of gay marriage.

The new survey shows a slight drop in support for gay marriage: 49 percent of Americans support it--that's down five points from February's survey. That may mean nothing. (Just as the finding that a five-point rise in the percentage of Americans who believe homosexuality is sinful may hold little meaning.) The year-over-year trend in support of gay marriage remains clear.

Less clear, however, is how the GOP will negotiate its positions on gay marriage, given how many self-identified Republicans are unhappy with the way their party handles that issue.

Pew Research asked Republican respondents how well the GOP was representing their own views. When it comes to gay marriage, just 34 percent of Republicans agree that the GOP is doing a good job. Of the 53 percent who think the Republican Party is doing a bad job, nearly one-third say it's because the party is too conservative on the issue. Just 22 percent say it's because the GOP is too liberal.

While most white Evangelicals are unhappy with the GOP's handling of gay marriage--no surprise there--among non-Evangelical Republicans, more say the party is too conservative than say it's too liberal.

Just 44 percent of all Catholics believe "homosexual behavior" is a sin, while 49 percent say it's not. For white Catholics, those numbers are just about reversed, but not for Hispanic Catholics. Fifty-six percent say homosexual behavior is not a sin--just 38 percent say it is.

Fifty-two percent of all Catholics support gay marriage, while 35 percent oppose it. Among whites, just 32 percent oppose gay marriage, while half support it. Hispanic Catholics favor same-sex marriage by 55 percent--29 percent are against it.

[P]erhaps leaders of the anti-gay-marriage movement might consider what this data means for the way the people they're trying to persuade receive their message.

More Than 30% Of Americans Think Gays Can Become Straight

In a post earlier today I looked at the dumbing down taking place in America led in large part by the embrace of ignorance and idiocy by today's republican Party and it's knuckle dragging party base.  Not coincidentally, the party base is dominated by "conservative Christians" and "evangelical Christians."  These folks reject any scientific knowledge that doesn't comport with their child like religious beliefs or threaten their sense of self-worth.  A new Pew Research Center survey found that 30% of Americans believe that gays can become straight.  The 30% figure interestingly correlates to the percentage of the population that identifies as conservative/evangelical Christians.  The logic - or more accurately, utter lack of logic - of these folks who believe in "pray away the gay" by extension should believe that one can pray away being fat ot pray away being ugly.  The number of ugly fat people in the Bible Belt alone shows the idiocy of such a belief system.  Here are highlights from Huffington Post:

In the wake of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's announcement that he will sign a bill banning so-called "conversion therapy" for gay teens, the Pew Research Center pointed to recent research that more than one in three Americans believe sexual orientation can be changed.

On Tuesday Pew republished the data -- gathered in 2012 -- in a sobering reminder of just how far this country has to go in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender acceptance. The survey concluded that slightly more than half of all Americans believe an LGBT individual cannot change sexual orientation -- while 36 percent believe it's possible.

Over the past decade the percentage of white evangelical Protestants and black Protestants who consider homosexuality sinful has remained relatively stable, according to Pew Research Center studies. Among white evangelical Protestants, 78 percent still consider homosexual activity a sin, as do 79 percent of black Protestants. The percentage of black Protestants opposed to homosexual behavior actually rose slightly during the last 10 years.

This relatively strong undercurrent of anti-gay sentiment among certain religious Americans may also help explain why the U.S. continues to lag behind much of the Western world in terms of LGBT acceptance. An international survey conducted by Pew researchers between March and May of this year found Americans generally less accepting of LGBT individuals -- and more religious -- than their peers in Spain, Germany, Britain and Canada.

These graphs speak volumes: its the uneducated, conservative church goers and those in the South who believe that gays can change.

 Oh, can we talk about hypocrisy:

 

Pew Poll: Majority of Parents Not Upset to Have a Gay Child

 

In what is clearly more bad news for the gay-hating Christofascists, a new Pew Research Center survey comparing views on gays in 1985, 2000, and 2004 versus 2013 finds that in 2013, 55% of parents surveyed would not be upset to discover that they have a gay child.  Only 19% would be very upset - a figure that probably corresponds to the percentage of the population comprised of spittle flecked "godly Christians."   The findings are also noteworthy because they reveal a huge shift in the mindset of those over age 65.  While a majority still would be upset to learn the news, 47% now say they would not be upset.  The findings are yet further evidence that the GOP's anti-gay jihad is going to turn into a form of political suicide sooner as opposed to later - assuming the self-inflicted death process hasn't already begun.  Here are some details of the survey findings:

The new survey finds larger changes over the past decade in favorable opinions of gay men and lesbians. Ten years ago, the balance of opinion toward both gay men and lesbians was 
unfavorable: 37% viewed gay men favorably, while 51% viewed them unfavorably; 39% had a favorable impression of lesbian women while 48% had an unfavorable opinion.  Today, by a 55% to 32% margin, more have a favorable than unfavorable opinion of gay men. And about twice as many view lesbian women favorably (58%) than unfavorably (29%).

In 1985, a Los Angeles Times survey found that 64% of the public said they would be “very upset” if their child told them he or she was gay or lesbian. By 2004, that number had fallen by almost half (33%). Since then, it has declined another 14 points, to 19%.

Instead, a majority (55%) now says they would not be upset if they learned their child was gay or lesbian, a 19-point increase since 2004 and a 46-point increase since the mid-1980s.

Again, this has been an across-the-board shift in attitudes. Yet the change has been more dramatic among some groups than others. In 2004, fully 82% of those 65 and older said they would be upset if their child told them they were gay, and 50% said they’d be very upset. Today, only about half (47%) say they’d be upset and just 24% say they’d be very upset.

Among Republicans, the percentage saying they’d be very upset if they learned their child was gay or lesbian also has fallen by half – from 44% to 22% – since 2004.

In other bad news for the white Christofascists and their white supremacist allies in the GOP base, public acceptance of interracial marriage has likewise increased markedly:

The public also takes a more positive view of another social trend – more people of different races marrying each other. Currently, 37% say this is a good thing for American society, up from 25% in 2011 and 24% in 2010. About half (51%) say more interracial marriage does not make much difference, compared with 64% in 2011 and 61% in 2010. About one-in-ten (10%) continue to view this as a negative trend for American society.

 We can likely expect increasingly hysterical rhetoric from the "godly folks" and "family values hate groups as it becomes increasingly clear that their propaganda campaigns are not working.  Some would even say that the nastiness of this propaganda is helping the cause of LGBT equality as it hastens the decline of the Christian brand.

The Global Divide on Homosexuality - Greater Acceptance in More Secular and Affluent Countries

A new Pew Research Center study has found that acceptance of gays and homosexuality correlates with a country's affluence and level of secularism.  Stated differently, the more educated and progressive a country, the more accepting the country is of gays and homosexuality.  That said, it is telling that the United States falls behind a number of European and South American counties and even Mexico and, yes, the Philippines.    The driving force behind America's relative backwardness vis-a-vis other developed and developing counties?   The Christofascists and their embrace of bigotry and ignorance.   Here are highlights from Pew study:

As the United States and other countries grapple with the issue of same-sex marriage, a new Pew Research Center survey finds huge variance by region on the broader question of whether homosexuality should be accepted or rejected by society.

The survey of publics in 39 countries finds broad acceptance of homosexuality in North America, the European Union, and much of Latin America, but equally widespread rejection in predominantly Muslim nations and in Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and in Russia.

The survey also finds that acceptance of homosexuality is particularly widespread in countries where religion is less central in people’s lives. These are also among the richest countries in the world. In contrast, in poorer countries with high levels of religiosity, few believe homosexuality should be accepted by society.

Age is also a factor in several countries, with younger respondents offering far more tolerant views than older ones. And while gender differences are not prevalent, in those countries where they are, women are consistently more accepting of homosexuality than men.

The view that homosexuality should be accepted by society is prevalent in most of the European Union countries surveyed. About three-quarters or more in Spain (88%), Germany (87%), the Czech Republic (80%), France (77%), Britain (76%), and Italy (74%) share this view, as do more than half in Greece (53%). Poland is the only EU country surveyed where views are mixed; 42% say homosexuality should be accepted by society and 46% believe it should be rejected.

Canadians, who already expressed tolerant views in 2007, are now even more likely to say homosexuality should be accepted by society; 80% say this, compared with 70% six years ago.

Opinions about homosexuality are also positive in parts of Latin America. In Argentina, the first country in the region to legalize gay marriage in 2010, about three-quarters (74%) say homosexuality should be accepted, as do clear majorities in Chile (68%), Mexico (61%) and Brazil (60%);  . . . . .

There is a strong relationship between a country’s religiosity and opinions about homosexuality.² There is far less acceptance of homosexuality in countries where religion is central to people’s lives – measured by whether they consider religion to be very important, whether they believe it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral, and whether they pray at least once a day.

There's more that is worth a read.  The bottom line message is that as has been the case for hundred of years - if not millennia - religion is the prime force behind hate, bigotry and prejudice.

Pew poll: most disliked institution - the GOP

After six years of George Bush, right-wing control of Congress, neoconservative dominance, endless liberty-infringement and lawbreaking at home, and the Iraq War, what is the most disliked institution in America? According to the new Pew Poll (see chart above). Notably, there is an erosion in the favorability of virtually every political and media institution in the United States, but the Republican Party is at the very bottom -- lower than the press, the judges, the liberals, the Congress and all of its other Evil bogeymen. Yet the Democrats continue to give them whatever they want, dreadfully fearful of their great power and popularity. The Dems need to get a backbone and stand up to these bullies.