Bush Supporters Misread Many of His Foreign Policy Positions
That is the finding of a new Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) poll. As I looked over the poll and it's findings it is amazing! Majorities of Bush supporters and many uncommitted voters do not know what Bush's positions are on key foreign policy issues.

Majorities of Bush supporters incorrectly assumed that Bush favors including labor and environmental standards in trade agreements (84%), and the US being part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (69%), the International Criminal Court (66%), the treaty banning land mines (72%), and the Kyoto Treaty on global warming (51%). They were divided between those who knew that Bush favors building a new missile defense system now (44%) and those who incorrectly believe he wishes to do more research until its capabilities are proven (41%). However, majorities were correct that Bush favors increased defense spending (57%) and wants the US, not the UN, to take the stronger role in developing Iraq?s new government (70%).

[and]

Many of the uncommitted (those who say they are not very sure which candidate they will vote for) also misread Bush?s position on most issues, though in most cases this was a plurality, not a majority. The uncommitted incorrectly believed that Bush favors including labor and environmental standards in trade agreements (69%), the US being part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (51%), the International Criminal Court (47% to 31%), the land mines treaty (50%), and the Kyoto treaty on global warming (45% to 37%). Only 35% knew that Bush favors building a new missile defense system now, while 36% incorrectly believed he wishes to do more research until its capabilities are proven, and 22% did not give an answer. Only 41% knew that Bush favors increased defense spending, while 49% incorrectly assumed he wants to keep it the same (29%) or cut it (20%). A plurality of 46% was correct that Bush wants the US, rather than the UN, to take the stronger role in developing Iraq?s new government (37% assumed the UN).

Which leads to a couple of questions. First, why do they not know what his positions are? Is it that they are not well informed and lazy? Is it that they believe that most sane and rational people would believe the way they do and think that surely the President, who is sane and rational, would believe that way as well? Or is it that they are just not informed or misinformed by the media -- or maybe a better way to put it is by their media, meaning the media they use -- on what the President's positions are? The other interesting part of this is that:

Kerry supporters were much more accurate in assessing their candidate?s positions on all these issues. Majorities knew that Kerry favors including labor and environmental standards in trade agreements (90%); the US being part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (77%); the International Criminal Court (59%); the land mines treaty (79%); and the Kyoto Treaty on climate change (74%). They also knew that he favors continuing research on missile defense without deploying a system now (68%), and wants the UN, not the US, to take the stronger role in developing Iraq?s new government (80%). A plurality of 43% was correct that Kerry favors keeping defense spending the same, with 35% assuming he wants to cut it and 18% to expand it.

Hmm, so what does that tell us? I think the main thing it tells us is that those who support Kerry know what his positions on foreign policy are and those who support the President do not know what his positions are. Is that too simple of an explanation? But if you look at the poll results you will notice that even the uncommitted voters know better what Kerry's positions are than they do the President's. To me that means that where the Bush supporters and the uncommitted voters are getting their information they are getting wrong information and conversely where the Kerry supporters are getting their information they are getting correct information. Once again, is that too simple?
- posted by Mom/Dad @ 8:10 AM