Republicans' Belief in Evolution Plummets

[PanzerJaeger]

Fewer Republicans today than in 2009 believe in evolution, according to new analysis from the Pew Research Center.

A poll out Monday shows that less than half – 43 percent – of those who identify with the Republican Party say they believe humans have evolved over time, plunging from 54 percent four years ago. Forty-eight percent say they believe “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time,” up from 39 percent in 2009.

At 67 percent and 65 percent, respectively, the numbers of Democrats and independents who believe in evolution have remained more or less the same since 2009. They’re also in step with the population nationally: Six-in-10 Americans say they believe humans have evolved.

The gaping partisan disparity remains, the analysis states, even when accounting for “differences in the racial and ethnic composition of Democrats and Republicans or differences in their levels of religious commitment.” But the dip from 2009 is a telling indicator of the growing influence in the GOP of the oft-yoked tea party-type ideologues and the “religious right.”

According to the survey, a majority of white evangelical Protestants and half of black Protestants reject evolution. Overwhelming majorities of white Catholics and white mainline Protestants say they do believe in evolution, but among those half say a “Supreme being” guided it, rather than natural processes.

It’s a subject whose nuances saw some play in the 2012 presidential election. While former candidate Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, brushed off evolution as “a theory” with “some holes in it,” former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, on the left side of the GOP field famously posted on Twitter: “To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”

Mitt Romney, a devout Mormon and the Republican Party’s ultimate nominee in 2012, has publicly stated his support for evolution – as guided by God.

“I’m not exactly sure what is meant by intelligent design,” he told the New York Times during his 2008 presidential bid. “But I believe God is intelligent and I believe he designed the creation. And I believe he used the process of evolution to create the human body.”

What does this say about one of America's two political parties, if anything? Is this a result of the "motivated reasoning" associated with being in the opposition during the era of Obama and the siege mentality that has been associated with it, or does it signal longer term trend?

In my view, this more evidence that the coalition Reagan built is fracturing. The religious right is growing in power and influence and pushing out the libertarian and economic conservatives. Ideologies that once overlapped to a certain extent are becoming strained, and it is becoming more and more difficult to vote GOP if you do not buy into a fundamentalist Christian worldview. For example, scientists have largely abandoned the GOP.

[Kadagar_AV]

USA scares me...

It's like, they have the money to be smart, but choose to be stupid.

[Beskar]

The religious right is growing in power and influence and pushing out the libertarian and economic conservatives. Ideologies that once overlapped to a certain extent are becoming strained, and it is becoming more and more difficult to vote GOP if you do not buy into a fundamentalist Christian worldview. For example, scientists have largely abandoned the GOP.

It has been like so since Clinton and the election of Bush Jr within my time-frame, I cannot speak earlier than that as I wasn't really around to comment. It is scary when you notice how it increased from Obama's initial election to the last election. It is part of my overt messages where the Republican party needs to be abandoned and in the vacuum, the Democratic party is split with the more libertarian efforts becoming the 'new right' separating from the liberal/socialist left. Republican party is a laughing stock to pretty much everyone not on the 'in'. Not really about left/right, more about sensible/idiot. There are sensible right-wing and they deserve to be freed from the idiotic right.

[Lemur]

There are sensible right-wing and they deserve to be freed from the idiotic right.

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

Ebbs and flows. Ebbs and flows. in 1968 and 1972 it was the unrestrained leftists dragging down the Dems.

Oh, and Lemur, congratulations/condolences on the color change.

[HoreTore]

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

Yeah, catholic socialists will always be a bit odd...

[Sarmatian]

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

Why do you think he's an idiot?

[a completely inoffensive name]

Why do you think he's an idiot?

Because the media smear campaign against him was successful.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Because the media smear campaign against him was successful.

Or, just perhaps, Lemur is as underwhelmed by blindered "capitalism is evil and the USA the imperialist aggressor" ideologues as he is by blindered "God, guns, 'murica" ideologues? I tend to err on the side that our Lemur can actually think for himself.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Interesting. I'm not sure whether there is a long-term trend in the GOP towards fundamentalism, or if their relationship with it is more one of recurring highs and lows - the hight points occuring when there are perceived threats to traditional Christian/American values and the associated way of life. Remember the rise and fall of Moral Majority and the like?

Also, I wonder if these figures might be an indirect consequence of some other changes of direction within the party. If they have had much success in their planned drive to get more support from devoutly Catholic Mexican immigrants, these figures may reflect that. Or maybe the GOP has lost its more moderate support with recent debacles, leaving it with the more religious and hardline core.

Could be a few things going on here, alas as a non-American I'm not in the best place to say.

[Lemur]

Why do you think he's an idiot?

Or, just perhaps, Lemur is as underwhelmed by blindered "capitalism is evil and the USA the imperialist aggressor" ideologues as he is by blindered "God, guns, 'murica" ideologues?

That's part of it, and that I'm really turned off by ideologues of all stripes. I forget who said it, but "If you start with certainty, you will end in doubt; but if you begin with doubt, you will end in certainty."

Ideologues know the answers, they just need to massage the facts to fit. Or heck, just ignore facts if they're inconvenient.

I don't mind a propagandist, though. Much respect to Leni Reifenstahl, at least on a technical level. Having watched maybe three of Moore's films, I just find them sloppy. The reasoning, the logic, it's all sub-par.

So ... his films are the works of an ideologue, and worse, a sloppy ideologue.

[The Lurker Below]

Why do you think he's an idiot?

Moore could take a few pointers from ideologues with film production training.

[Sarmatian]

That's part of it, and that I'm really turned off by ideologues of all stripes. I forget who said it, but "If you start with certainty, you will end in doubt; but if you begin with doubt, you will end in certainty."

Ideologues know the answers, they just need to massage the facts to fit. Or heck, just ignore facts if they're inconvenient.

I don't mind a propagandist, though. Much respect to Leni Reifenstahl, at least on a technical level. Having watched maybe three of Moore's films, I just find them sloppy. The reasoning, the logic, it's all sub-par.

So ... his films are the works of an ideologue, and worse, a sloppy ideologue.

Documentaries are inherently biased. They tend to tell a story and present a point of view.

I found them interesting and felt he got the tone right, regardless of whether each single piece of information in there is correct. Bigger problems is that they're about stuff most 'muricans would rather ignore, imho.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Or, just perhaps, Lemur is as underwhelmed by blindered "capitalism is evil and the USA the imperialist aggressor" ideologues as he is by blindered "God, guns, 'murica" ideologues? I tend to err on the side that our Lemur can actually think for himself.

OK.