Donald Trump Is Turning Republicans Into Anti-Vaxxers

[riversedge]

X-posted:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141508614


Donald Trump Is Turning Republicans Into Anti-Vaxxers

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Source: dailybeast




07.05.16 12:00 AM ET

Donald Trump Is Turning Republicans Into Anti-Vaxxers
Study after study has shown no link between anti-vaxxers and party affiliation. Until now.

Republicans are more skeptical of vaccine science than we may have previously realized—and Donald Trump may bear some of the blame.

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Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has expressed significant skepticism about vaccine science over the years, even going so far as to suggest vaccines cause autism. As a result, he’s become a hero to many in the anti-vaxx movement—the rare public figure willing to champion their dangerous and incorrect beliefs.

The new data runs counter to the prevailing public view on the relationship between political affiliation and vaccine skepticism—that there is little to no relationship—and suggests that Trump’s ascent in the Republican Party is related to doubts about vaccines among its members.

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Overall, researchers found that having a low intention to vaccinate correlated most strongly with affiliation with the GOP. ........................

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/05/donald-trump-is-turning-republicans-into-anti-vaxxers.html

[bonemachine]

1. let's not fool ourselves

Plenty of the vaxxer nonsense is fed by crunchy folks on the looney left - same with fluoridation, which used to be a Bircher thing, but now the loudest folks crying foul there tend to be lefties too.

[Sheepshank]

2. without any data, I assume this is an opinion piece. My opinion differs.

The Left tend to have a better and more confident outlook on science and therefore more prone to accepting the science behind vaccinations....rather than the made up woo of RWers.

The anti vaxxers, climate deniers and Dinosaurs walking with humans group are more likely to be Libertarians and RWers.

[bonemachine]

3. I tried to do a little digging

And what I see is a big libertarian component, but also the large clusters of anti vaccine strongholds in heavily democratic areas too. I couldn't find a single definitive survey or study on the subject, but this one seems pretty solidly bipartisan...

Really, huge swaths of America have some amazingly unscientific beliefs, and it's a problem that crosses political lines.