NPR: "Most Uneducated People Tend to vote Democratic"

[leftchick]

"and therefore buy into the conspiricy theory of voting fraud" That was said by Andy Kohut on Diane Rehm's show just now. He is doing a bangup job of saying the electoral process is fine. :puke:

I have not heard the other guests yet but he made me sick...

http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/

10:00Monitoring the Voting Process
Today's voting process is likely to be the most monitored in U.S. election history. We'll hear from watchdogs and voters around the country about efforts underway to ensure clean counts.

Guests
Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Warren Stewart, policy director, VoteTrustUSA

Elliot Mincberg, SVP and legal director, People for the American Way, and member of the Election Protection Coalition

Courtenay Strictland Bhatia, president, VerifiedVoting.org

[soothsayer]

1. They'll be crying voter fraud tomorrow when we sweep their

asses out!

[Clark2008]

2. Funny, that's not what the data shows.

The data shows that most college-educated people vote for Democrats - unless Kohut think's they're dumb or something.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I Think The Data Shows The Democrats Have Both The Least And Most Educated Voters....

eom

[Proud2BAmurkin]

53. Correct nt

nt

[flyingfysh]

3. that's why Massachusetts is so heavily Democratic?

Let's see: We have Harvard, MIT, Brandeis, Tufts, Boston College, etc, etc. Yep, sounds like an uneducated group to me.

[AllieB]

61. There was a survey published several years back

that pointed to the fact that the higher the education levels, the more likely that the person would be a Democrat. States with great public education tend to be blue. States with high levels of illiteracy tend to be red.

[HereSince1628]

4. Yes but by educated they mean properly brain-washed

[still_one]

5. It wasn't those "uneducated" people who voted for that IDIOT who is the president

[EFerrari]

38. Yeah -- remember that study? The less education you have

the more likely you are to vote Republican.

As usual, this moran has it exactly backwards.

[yurbud]

7. yeah, the uneducated people who listen to Rush Limbaugh...

Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity are going to vote for Democrats?

If you don't have your ear to the ground and do some research, you could totally miss the evoting story. Like that guy just did.

[Javaman]

8. Let the repuke whining begin! nt

[blogslut]

9. This generalizing jerk

...is part of Pew? Man, that place has really gone to dogs. Used to be Pew was respectable.

[baldingrockwarlord2]

10. Which is it, now?

Are we on the left uneducated, or elitists? I swear they will say anything or call us anything.

[jayfish]

11. What Did Diane Say?

She never lets total BS like that slip by without a challenge.

Jay

[leftchick]

19. she was totally sucking up to him

she made me ill as well.

[matt819]

46. No she wasn't

Granted, she let that comment slide, which was a surprise, but she stands up more often than not - I would say most of the time - to RW slurs. She is, however, respectful and decent, and a breath of fresh air.

I suspect that this comment will get a lot of response, and I would bet money that she will have a comment on this on a future show.

As for the comment itself, it was idiotic and offensive, and almost certainly downright wrong.

[leftchick]

49. she did not question him about the audacity of the statement

and she agreed with about everything he said in the ten min utes or so I listened. In general I like Diane but she is not the greatest at interviewing liars and challenging them. I also heard her last week just about have a heart attack when a caller suggested the white house was full of a bunch of rotten crooks. She went into a short tizzy over it. She could have let that one go like she did Andy's comment.

[Hugin]

51. Translation... "a future show" = "after the elections"

Too late.

[jayfish]

56. I'm Surprised.

Her challenges aren't always the strongest but they are frequently made. On your observation below that Diane went into a tizzy "when a caller suggested the white house was full of a bunch of rotten crooks"; that's to be expected. She is not one for bombast and prefers more "intelligently" worded questions. Not saying it the right way or the wrong way, that's just how she is.

Jay

[Junkdrawer]

12. So many uneducated computer scientists at Stanford, Princeton, CMU...

:sarcasm:

Andy, you need a new talking point....

[EFerrari]

36. Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, MIT

:rofl:

[Moochy]

13. Whats that smell?

Pew!

Fucking think tanks. NPR Can't get enough of them.

Maybe because NPR is a whore, and pew is the customer?

[undeterred]

14. That's why 90% of college professors vote Democratic.

They're uneducated. Typical Repukespeak.

[acmavm]

15. I don't think so. We didn't put t drunken AWOL frat boy idiot who

can't spit out a single intelligible sentence in the White House. We don't go listen to idiots like Haggard tell us how we're gonna burn in hell for shit he's secretly doing. We don't donate money to guys who are preaching on Sunday and doing business with corrupt and savage dictators who control gold mines the rest of the week.

And no one I know has shot an old man in the face, got drunk before he could face the police, didn't report it until the next day, got the old doofus to say it was his fault, and then sat there wallowing in his shit thinking that the majority of the American people are too damn stupid to understand what really happened and that he got away with it.

[bloom]

16. At MMF "Why My Students Are Likey to Vote Republican"

http://melancholicfeminista.blogspot.com/ (written by a Philosphy professor)

Because they believe, against all credible information, in radical free will. I just came back from my Introduction to Philosophy course, where we discussed how meaningful a concept of free will is. We start off by discussing the relatively uncontroversial statement that most events in the world are caused by something and move to the more controversial claim that perhaps all human actions are caused by antecedent events, thereby making "free will" a problematic concept. Now, how philosophers have framed the problem of free will is quite different from our common sense understanding of the notion.

For most philosophers, free will is opposed to determinism. That is, if an act is free, it was not determined by a prior cause, whether that be one's childhood education or one's basic temperament. The common sense notion of free will is that despite the fact that we find ourselves limited or determined by past events/conditions, we have some ability to choose against our inclination.

While this common sense definition resonates with my views, it dramatically differs from the more radical view that "we can become whomever we want to become," a statement, btw, uttered by one of my students today. The sentiment in that statement is that those who wish to climb out of deep poverty and make something of their lives can do so, if they want to badly enough. I have to say, that view is attractive. It is downright romantic. And, for years, my father instilled this same view in me; hence, I still feel affectionate toward it.

Having said that, I have learned, through experience, that one's desire to transcend his or her circumstances are often thwarted by conditions out of one's power to change. I tried to illustrate this point to my students with the following thought experiment:

Let's assume that Pete has grown up, in a working class neighborhood, in Camden, NJ. Pete's mom dropped out of high school when she was 17, because she wanted to keep Pete and couldn't do so while in school. Her parents were not well off, and so she needed to work to help fray the costs of a new baby. She found a job in a day care center, and was able to enroll Pete for free. She made minimum wage, with no benefits. Pete grows up loved and with a great deal of ambition to get out of Camden. He works hard in school, but his school is underfunded, crowded and hence, his education is sub-standard. He earns a high G.P.A and decides to apply to college. He is accepted a few places, but they are all too expensive for him, even with the aid from the school. He opts for Community College, which costs $5,000.00 a semester and he continues to work in a department store. To pay for the tuition, he takes out a student loan. After three semesters, he has to drop out because his mom gets ill and so they don't have enough money for rent. After 6 months of this, his student loans become due and he is required to work more to cover the cost of these loans. He realizes that he might get better tuition benefits if he enrolls in the Army. He does, and unfortunately, while on a supply run, he gets seriously injured and returns back home. He is in the hospital for a few months, and finds out that the military won't grant him his full G.I. bill since he was in for only 2 months.

My question to the class was: Is Pete morally responsible for not getting out of poverty?

Their reaction: Yes....

Their second reaction: the example is completely absurd, no one would have such horrible luck.

[Der Blaue Engel]

37. Yikes

How privileged/naive do you have to be to think "no one would have such horrible luck"??

[bloom]

39. It sounds like they live in a cocoon.

I suppose that's what the suburbs can do to some people.

[Atman]

17. Wait a minute, are we Pointy-headed liberal elists, or uneducated louts?

I wish they'd make up their minds.

.

[FuzzyDicePHL]

18. In this context

"educated" must mean "indoctrinated"

[Alamom]

24. We have a Winner!

"educated" must mean "indoctrinated"

[sinkingfeeling]

20. Don't think so and neither does Karl Rove....

First of all, academics surely do tilt Democratic. But, according to political strategists for both parties, so does the entire pool of people from which academics are, of professional necessity, chosen — the pool of people holding advanced degrees. As Karl Rove says, “As people do better, they start voting like Republicans — unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing.” (Nicholas Lemann, “Bush’s Trillions,” The New Yorker, 2/19/2001; sadly TNY doesn’t keep this online.)

[originalpckelly]

21. In other news, uptight rich bastards tend to vote for Republicans.

I spend hours a day learning and thinking, and yet I still vote for Democrats. I wonder why someone would say such a horrible thing?

And on top of that, if you observe Free Republic, you will notice a profound lack of language skills.

[Junkdrawer]

22. If both uneducated and educated people vote Democratic....

why are Republicans "winning" elections....

:shrug:

[lazyriver]

23. I hate NPR and it's affiliate Maine PBN

They have been making me so freakin' sick lately but it is the most "liberal" radio station where I live.

I don't know which program it was this morning on my way to vote, but they were "reporting" on election day concerns about new voting machines and regulations and said, "And in some early voting cases in a few states, some people have reported that the touch screen voting machines are switching the votes to a candidate other than the one selected". The "reporter" said it with such a dismissive tone that no credibility was left in the softball statement. They played a clip of a creaky voiced elderly woman saying the machines are confusing and followed it up with their own statement that the elderly "often have problems with changes in the voting process".

They didn't say that it is happening at a 95% rate in favor of Republican candidates pretty much everywhere it has been reported and it seems to be in only the closest of races. They went on to "explore a few stories" about voter suppression in Virginia and failed to mention that Republicans are the ones suppressing the vote. If one didn't know any better, they would get the impression BOTH sides have been robo-calling and telling blacks they will be arrested if they try to vote.

NPR should be dissolved and any funding given to Air America.

[BootinUp]

25. He hasn't seen conspiracy theory mania until

the repukes think it has been done to them. Who has that picture of the angry white men in Florida in 2000?

[Hugin]

33. You mean John Bolton and Wilson's (R - Janet's Boob) staff?

I've been looking for that too.

[BootinUp]

44. Heres a pic and story

http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/28/miami/print.html


Its a tongue in cheek comarison, but I do believe the mania or paranoia will be just as great or more in the other party should they lose.

[originalpckelly]

26. Well I think Andy Kohut is a moran...

anyone else?

[melody]

27. typical Alpha primate rhetorical trick

Discourage thinking via associating "intellect" with "no conspiracy theory". The duller apes group around "no conspiracy theory".

[sweetheart]

28. When 'educated' increasingly means 'skilled'

Education is so much brainwashing as well, that an untrained person does not mean
a person is not capable of hanging with the smart. The working poor are the street
smart life blood, of course those smart persons vote democratic in the interest of
a civil society and not the dark ages.

You don't have to be educated to recognize the evil prison state and its apologists,
the millions in prison, the facts themselves are so disgusting they read worse than
the most outrageous conspiracy theory.

[klook]

29. Everybody knows Republicans are brainy sophisticates

Like this guy:


Or this woman:

[JMDEM]

30. Yea, like most College Professors

Stupid uneducated college professors.

[Hugin]

31. I DEMAND AN APOLOGY!

That is untrue... Let's see your numbers.

[Rhythm]

32. That's funny...

We were discussing this in one of my POLS classes the other day, and my prof (with 20 yrs teaching the ins and outs of state and local gov) gave us a truckload of stats that say otherwise.

Methinks Mr. Kohut is an asshat.

[Hugin]

Welcome to DU!

May I point out this is your lucky seventh post!

:)

[bloom]

34. That is disgusting.

Trying to insinuate that people are "stupid" if they vote Democratic. Seems like the opposite to me.

People might vote Republican if they like senseless wars and global warming. If they like to deny science and social science. Sounds pretty stupid to me.

They may not be "uneducated" - but some of them are anti-education. Like the Republicans who want "intelligent design" taught in school.

Like my brother with his engineering degree who thinks that schools should not be teaching that the world is more than 6000 years old. And that school teachers who want to teach nonsense are being "persecuted". What good is his education - when he wants to deny education to others?

[demgurl]

35. I heard that and it almost made me.......

:puke:

[Delphinus]

40. I take huge exception to that theory!

I consider myself very educated and a Democrat!

From the Republicans I've met, I think they're the ones who can't seem to think for themselves.

[Missy Vixen]

41. I'm only sorry I probably can't get through to talk to the uninformed guest

Western Washington is heavily Democratic. Seattle was recently named the most well-educated city in the United States.

Julie

[gollygee]

42. Yeah, university professors are by large a very conservative group

/sarcasm

[glitch]

43. This confirms my suspicions about Kohut - thanks for posting. nt

[madmusic]

45. Another propaganda talking point

First they whine about acedamia being too liberal, and that is only because when one is more educated, one isn't so fixed into the status quo. So now they try the other extreme. Here is a study that explains what is really going on:

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:yivC-gX3DSMJ:www.princeton.edu/~bartels/kansas.pdf">What’s the Matter with Kansas? (Google conversion.)

http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels/kansas.pdf">PDF

[wisteria]

47. Gee, are the elitists and the limousine liberals included in his comments?

Why is he given a pass on insulting the intelligence of the electorate?

[treestar]

48. Good that means the troops will be voting Democratic

And Kerry did no damage.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Lurking Dem]

50. How does this explain

NASCAR?

[leeroysphitz]

52. Most "willfully ignorant" people tend to vote republican. EOM

[Warren DeMontague]

54. Yeah, All the dumb, uneducated pinheads in expensive, coastal cities.

Right.

[Orangepeel]

55. it's actually a curvilinear relationship

IIRC, people with a four year degree are most likely to vote republican.

Blue collar workers (often union), lower income people and minorities (lower percentages of whom have college degrees, statistically) and people with post graduate degrees (critical thinking skills?) are more likely to vote Democratic.

That voting fraud crack was obnoxious.

[Oak2004]

68. As someone with a taste of both ends I understand why

A college-educated person has had exposure to the realities of the wider world and their intimate connection with everyone else through education; a disadvantaged person (or a worker who consciously fights for his or her rights) has been exposed to the realities of the wider world through life experience (the value of which is not to be underestimated).

It's those who occupy that middle zone, where they think they can personally escape those realities, where the current GOP has traction.

(And of course those who think they have a special exemption from the rest of society and their community are wrong. Their notions about themselves as special would be laughable if the consequences of their misbeliefs weren't so tragic.)

[zbdent]

57. Most "uneducated" vote Dem? Well, most "RE-EDUCATED" (read:

camps/centers) vote Repuke ... taking yet another cue from the Russians that the Repukes secretly admire ...

[Scout1071]

58. I thought we were the "liberal elite?" nt

[PVnRT]

59. Damn, I didn't know I was uneducated

How did I get a master's in chemical engineering from one of the premier private engineering schools in the country, then? Weird.

[Lindacooks]

60. It's actually the other way around.

Not all Conservatives are stupid, but all stupid people vote conservative.

It's the hate-filled, easy way to vote. You don't have to think - just accept everything repukes say. And since they hate everybody, and since losers have to feel superior to someone, they vote for repukes.

[demokatgurrl]

62. That's not even TRUE!!!!

But I won't go there.....
Well maybe I will. How SMART can people be who vote against their own interests, let alone those of the country and the WORLD?? I see people driving cars with the muffler hanging off and Bush stickers on the bumper!!! WTF???

[NashVegas]

63. Both the Least AND the MOST Educated Vote Dem

Go poi dog ponder on that.

My theory for the explanation: the least educated don't spend as much time watching the news, reading the papers. The upside of this, is they're less likely to be well-propagandized by the right.

Many uneducated people are plenty bright. My dad was a functional illiterate, and one of the sharpest men I ever knew.

[truth2power]

64. I heard Kohut say that...I was appalled..

What an ignorant thing to say. I voted straight Dem today, and I have TWO master's degrees.

I have several things that are keeping me really busy today, but I've made a note to myself to email Diane to let her know how inaccurate I think his statement was.

[Subdivisions]

65. Soooo....

Andrew Kohut is the director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, huh?

Funnny.

Remember yesterday when all the talk started about a substantial tightening of what were once heavily Dem campaigns and a tightening of already close races? All of the pontificating across the MSM was based on what?

You guessed it.

A new Pew Research Poll.

Gimme a fucking break. Andrew Kohut is bought and paid for.

[enki23]

66. as do the most highly educated

we're the coalition of the most capable and the most in need, doing our damndest to hold the line against a coalition of privilege and its dupes, some of whom are educated just enough to believe they know know their asses from their elbows.

they don't. you can't get your head up your elbow.

[Fleshdancer]

67. Oh the IRONY of saying that on NPR

:eyes:

[Marie26]

69. What an incrediby elitist statement. nt

[orleans]

70. i met a horribly uneducated (stupid actually) person yesterday

and she isn't voting at all. (which is probably a good thing)

dumb as a stump. in a republican county. she'd end up voting for the folks whose names she remembers on the lawn signs.

[Nikki Stone1]

71. Hey NPR: When you sold out, the educated liberals voted with their dollars.

Self (with advanced degree) included.