I knew it!!! Bush supporters more likely to be mentally ill!!!!

[Dr.Phool]

Psychotics 4 Bush!

Posted by Melissa McEwan at 9:04 AM on November 28, 2006.

Study finds the more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.



To be filed under duh:

, a social work master’s student at Southern Connecticut State University, says he has proven what many progressives have probably suspected for years: a direct link between mental illness and support for President Bush.

…Lohse's study, backed by SCSU Psychology professor Jaak Rakfeldt and statistician Misty Ginacola, found a correlation between the severity of a person's psychosis and their preferences for president: The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.

The study began in part as an advocacy project "designed to register mentally ill voters and encourage them" to vote, while assessing "knowledge of current issues, government and politics." The Bush trend emerged in the course of the study, according to Lohse, who describes himself as a "Reagan revolution fanatic" who nonetheless finds Bush "beyond the pale." During the course of the study, it emerged that "Bush supporters has significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry," and that greater levels of psychosis predicted Bush support.

"Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader," Lohse says. "If your world is very mixed up, there's something very comforting about someone telling you, 'This is how it's going to be'."

None of this is actually new information. That liberal voters tend to be much better informed as a group and tend to reject authoritarianism is well documented, from both the chicken came first angle and the egg came first angle. But it's nonetheless amusing to have further evidence that the people constantly calling progressives unhinged lunatics are, you know, way more likely to be nutzoid than the targets of their gleeful finger-pointing.

Via Tom Tomorrow, who dryly notes: "Anyone who's spent any time reading right wing blogs already understood this to be true." Indeed.

(This Modern World)

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/44843/

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dr.Phool]

3. I guess freepers of a feather, flock together.

[neoblues]

2. Loons: Birds of a Feather, Flock Together... nt.

[L0oniX]

33. I resemble that remark

:hippie:

[133724]

45. Too many Flocking Republicans n/t

[mom cat]

4. Proof that you have to be crazy to support Bush!

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. Well, you don't HAVE to be,

but it sure helps.

(Ba-da-dup!)

[kenny blankenship]

5. He was the candidate running on the paranoid murder and mayhem ticket

in both 2000 and 2004, so no surprises there.

[silverweb]

6. And from a conservative yet.

"...Lohse, who describes himself as a 'Reagan revolution fanatic' who nonetheless finds Bush 'beyond the pale.'"

That the study was conducted by an admitted Reagan conservative who nevertheless could be objective about his findings lends additional credibility to his conclusions.

Tack this new information onto the earlier study from that liberal bastion, UC Berkeley, in 2003, and there's some very credible evidence to put out in the public arena.

[neoblues]

7. Never forget: Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition...

Or, Republicans are mentally ill (deranged?)...

Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition

Some common psychological factors linked to conservatism include:

• Fear and aggression
  
• Dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity
  
• Uncertainty avoidance
  
• Need for cognitive closure
  
• Terror management
  

[ClintonTyree]

51. That's my brother, in a nutshell.....

and yes, he's an uber-CONservative moran. It's difficult to believe that we shared the same set of parents. He was the youngest, 17 years younger than me in fact. I think my mother having him so late in life had some sort of negative effect on him. He's a real piece of work. :eyes:

[neilepi]

8. This is a must-have...

....for the $500m Presidential library!

The new, unique, 2007 Anti-Bush Grafitti Calendar

[LSK]

9. Projection strikes again!!!

How many times have liberals and liberalism been blamed as a mental illness?????

Of course the reverse is true!

[lpbk2713]

10. It comes from drinking the Kool-Aid

And listening to the RW radio propagandists. It makes em act weird.

[twilight_sailing]

11. For Buffy fans

Xander: "Vampires are real. A lot of them live in Sunnydale."

Oz: "Actually, that explains a lot."

[Javaman]

12. And we needed a study to tell us this??? nt

[hunter]

13. I didn't vote for Bush.

I guess I must be exceptional in more ways than I thought!

Oh yeah, this thread sucks.

[Bluerthanblue]

16. nor did I-

and I agree with your opinion of this thread-
Might be a bit more acceptable, and true to say something along the lines of " people in deep psychosis are more inclined to support bush"- that is what the study proved- NOT that people who struggle with mental illness are more likely to support bush-

what a load of shit- and twisted reasoning-
But hey, what do I know- I have a mental illness- and I don't support, nor have I EVER supported *.

[progressoid]

14. Oh man, this is going out on some emails this afternoon.

[nolabels]

17. As one of them so called crazy persons i resent the notion

Just because someone might seem irrational to you or others this does not mean it's synonymous for support for *.

The reasons for any persons incapacitation in the field of cognitive function can be as numerous the grains of sand in the sea. In our modern world of McDonald's one fits all, their is no recipe for the magic to fix any one persons ills. Needless to say, the old idea of you get what you're looking for would probably fit here.

Please don't blame scapegoats for an entire countries irresponsibility. Just because Hitler did it does not make the correct thing to do.

[Der Blaue Engel]

18. As another one of them so-called crazy persons

I think this statement makes it perfectly clear: "The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush." (Emphasis mine.) The OP may have inadvertently translated that as "mentally ill," but I'm not offended, because the rest of the post goes on to clarify that the correlation was based on the degree of psychosis.

I'm surprised anyone would take exception to this. Then again, I'm not psychotic, just bipolar, so what do I know?

[Bluerthanblue]

21. I take exception because

too many people don't bother to actually READ the full article-
And the 'inadvertent' accident on the OP is a pretty big accident- (btw, I am PTSD/bipolarII myself- and the child who was raised by an UNTREATED psychotic parent- who would not willingly accept treatment because of the stigma)

I'm a bit wounded- and sensitive. But silence is approval-

And the mistake needs to be fixed.

[Der Blaue Engel]

22. I am also PTSD/bipolar II

That's interesting. Perhaps people who are PTSD/bipolar II are more likely to vote for a kind, wise, and intelligent candidate than an ignorant authoritative one. :)

I truly don't think the OP meant to paint all mentally ill with the same brush, but I hope he/she acknowledges your thoughtful post.

[tavalon]

31. I know it's common vernacular

to say "I am _______________" with regards to mental illness but I would encourage people to say "I have __________". It seems insignificant but to the subconscious, it makes a world of difference. The first becomes a global definition of self, the second an indication of an aspect of the self. I have depression, I am not depression. I take an anti-depressant for the depression I have so it doesn't get to have me.

And so on.

[PurpleChez]

42. The OP didn't paint everyone withthe same brush

He or she clearly spoke of a *correlation*. (S)he didn't say "all mentally ill people voted for Bush," let alone blame those who have mental illness for Bush's 'election.' (Sorry...this was a response to several posts...not just yours....)

I am interested by your suggestion...most of the folks I have worked with in mental health services have been schizophrenic, actively psychotic, etc., and they leaned overwhelmingly toward authoritateive politics and religion. I wonder if things, in general, ARE different for, say, folks who have bipolar DO. I wonder what goes for the rest of the DSM-IV.

[petgoat]

23. I thought being bipolar was an emotional disorder and

psychosis was a state of deranged perception and mental
processing, so they are qualitatively quite different,
but what do I know?

I was agitating in the street for people to attend a municipal
meeting in support of an impeachment resolution. I invited a
homeless woman to the meeting. I've seen her around--she gives
the impression of being very bright, but definitely marches to a
different drummer--spends a lot of time on the internet in the
library, spends hours sorting and resorting her belongings and
wrapping them up in black plastic.

She declined. "I kind of like Bush."

I asked her why.

She thought a moment. "I identify with him," she said.

[warrens]

24. Whoa!

That's some story.

[Der Blaue Engel]

27. I didn't compare them

I was just noting that the study was referring to psychosis, and pointing out that I might not get why someone would be offended, since I don't suffer from psychosis.

[NJCher]

40. hmmm... a soothsayer?

I have a feeling that's what bush will be doing, too:

Spending time on the Internets in the library, packing his belongings, and wrapping his things in black plastic.




Cher

[nolabels]

25. It seems the simple thing to do, blame elements of the equation instead........

of the process that took the elements to that point in time. The more one studies history and the processes taking place in it the more predictable things become. There is just about nothing someone can bring to the table to discuss that others might not have a different view on.

In one sense or another just everybody has things that would be considered strange or different to one viewing the behaviors. I don't necessarily think this so called thing known as "subject" being studied as anything other than the results of them people known as "subject" just as adapting to their circumstances.

In the movie, "The Corporation" they have some people diagnose the entity "The Corporation" as clinically and criminally insane. More over i just see it as a large reflection on entirety of human greed. We will never be able to go where we really need to go until we honestly come to terms to what we are really seeing.

Sunday Movie: The Corporation
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2802992

[Bluerthanblue]

19. Call me crazy Dr.Phool- but you owe me, and many others an apology

Your subject title is not only wrong- it is offensive, and does nothing but advance the stigma and loathing that people have about those of us who suffer from, and have loved ones who struggle with Mental Illness-

The blog peice you cite is poorly written, and poorly supported.-
Depression is one kind of mental illness- there are many. Psychosis is NOT present in all forms of mental illness. And I'm not surprised that people in the throes of a psychotic episode might side with the kind of mentality offered by the * party- But people in a psychotic episode aren't able to think clearly-

Thanks for doing your best to set back the progress NAMI and others have sought to gain. I guess those of us who have had the courage to admit our struggles, and come out of the shadows, shouldn't expect any more understanding or acceptance from the 'big-tent' party. Ya might want to forward this blog to Mrs. Gore- she'd be better equipped to answer than I am.- but hell, she musta voted for * too-

fie- fie on all of this shit.

[undergroundpanther]

38. I'm with ya blue

Frankly I am sick of having psychopathy called mental illness.
It is a character flaw a bad person(ality).

I think most republicans are of the psychopathy/narcissism and authoritarian types who are not mentally ill.But are bullies and their enablers.


As for mental illness, it is hell.And if the writer of that tripe thinks schizophrenics ,depressives etc vote bush because they are mentally ill,that writer is an ignorant asshole.
Ironically most people I meet in the consumer movement, are very progressive, and more left than the majority on DU, and the so called"centrists".Because the mentally are informed about issues most joe blow Dem's ignore like disability rights, poverty and homelessness issues, big pharmacy, etc. etc. because we HAVE to be for our own survival and that of our fellows..Mentally ill people are informed and it torments them to know how vulnerable they are to predatory politics, if a re-thug should decide to cut funds for mental health treatments or disability some of us would be in endangered.
Republicans would screw over mentally ill people every which way if there were no organizations to help us and advocate for our behalf when we are too overwhelmed and people there to remind the normals we ARE human beings and mental illness can strike anyone at any time.

[Bluerthanblue]

48. Thanks Undergroundpanther, you bring

up some really good points. In my journey through americas "system"- I've found that not only are most of the people I've met -on both ends of the spectrum-ie (consumer/professionals) Liberals- often far left liberals- there sure aren't many (if ANY) bush supporters-

Professionals are often stuck trying to help people who have very limited funds, people that society choose to marginalize and judge as 'losers'- They see first hand the frustrating red-tape, the dog&pony show hoops that people in need of services often have to try and navigate, only to be told that there is no help- In my experience it tends to make people more aware of the flaws in our 'social service/medical support' systems- and the politicians who 'legislate' and underfund it. (I was in the system when 'welfare' reform and all its far reaching tentacles was shoved through the legislature during the Clinton years)

It is amazing how peoples eyes are opened to genuine suffering and what an overwhelming experience having mental illness is, only after it strikes them, or someone close to them. I guess it's one of those things you have to have some personal history with to fully comprehend. And I don't wish it on anyone-

The brain IS an organ, just like the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs etc. And when it is not working properly people suffer. No one would CHOOSE to go through what I've experienced, and witnessed others struggle through, overcome, and sometimes surcome to.-

Thanks for your support, and wise words. I wish you comfort and peace-

blu

[warrens]

20. I saw a post last night from the ruler of a wingnut site

Liberty Post, I believe. It basically held that everyone who supported withdrawing our troops is a traitor and should be imprisoned. It was WAY beyond just delusional. Psychotic is the right word.

[Flubadubya]

26. Not hard to believe... but just hard to accept...

That about 30% of our population are hard-core lunatics. Sad... very sad! :cry:

[L0oniX]

34. I blame it on the drug testing ...at least the pot smokers were passive.

:hippie:

[Joanne98]

28. They would be the first to bow down to the anti-Christ.....

They just LOVE authority figures....

[pitohui]

29. what was their first clue?

seriously if anyone has ever sat down and talked w. a fundy or even just read the bible and realized that they insist this is "literal" truth has to understand that they're delusional by definition

[Red Right and BLUE]

30. There is emotional illness and mental illness.

The two don't always go together, obviously.

As a person who struggles with bouts of depression (who doesn't), this thread makes me SMILE.

[Anakin Skywalker]

32. We Are Vindicated In Our Suspicion! Yay!

[Swamp Rat]

35. LOL!

:D

[earth mom]

36. Limbaugh quote on Middle East: "Fine, just blow the place up."

Limbaugh on Middle East: "Fine, just blow the place up"

On the November 27 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, in response to claims made by King Abdullah II of Jordan on the November 26 edition of ABC's This Week that "we could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands," Rush Limbaugh said: "ell, let's just have them. Let's just have the civil wars ... because I'm just fed up with this." Limbaugh then asserted: "Fine, just blow the place up. Just let these natural forces take place over there instead of trying to stop them." Additionally, Limbaugh claimed: "verbody comes to us. ... So we go and try to fix it and our own people, Democrats and the left in our country do their best to sabotage our efforts, and then we get blamed for trying to clean up the messes that these people start."

<snip>

http://mediamatters.org/items/200611280003?src=newsbox-atrios.blogspot.com

If this isn't full on mental illness...Nuff Said. :crazy:

[cassiepriam]

37. Duh. Not only mental status problems, but IQ levels not great either.

Crazy and not too bright, just like Bush....

[pat_k]

39. Reminded me of a study that found that conservatives have almost three times as many nightmares. . .

. . .or at least that was the finding prior to 2001.

A subsequent study found that Liberals were having more bad dreams. . . Not too surprising in a world that seemingly went mad on December 12, 2000.

http://www.kellybulkeley.com/dream_politices.htm

http://www.kellybulkeley.com/articles/article_the_strange_politics_of_dreaming.htm

[PurpleChez]

41. I have worked somewhat extensively in mental health

amd I swear I never ran across an insane liberal. This is not to say that there are not insane liberals in the world, but those "receiving services" in my experience gravitated toward right wing religion and right wing politics, almost without fail. Maybe it had to do with wanting to be told what to do, I don't know....

[tomp]

43. not my experience.

where i work we get all kinds.

[PurpleChez]

49. Most of the settings I have worked in

were long-term residential, so you didn't necessarily see a lot of people but those you did you got to know very well. But in the "drop-in center" type of settings where we served many, many people day in and day out the overwhelming preference was for conservative-style "patriotism", old-time religion, etc. This was across several settings. It is very interesting that you have had such different experiences. It's definitely a field where there are few constants.

[Ian_rd]

47. I reluctantly agree with you and the OP

I despise generalizations, especially baseless ones, of any group of people, and yet I think there is logic to this idea. I have no experience with the mentally ill, but my countless conversations with far right-wingers (a genuine fascination for me) leads me to believe that they tend to have more simple and shallow beliefs such as "us good - them bad," which inevitably results in support of violent foreign policy, scapegoating, and little or no care for people less fortunate than themselves. Their beliefs also tend to be absolute while at the same time intellectually lazy, requiring no evidence or knowledge in order to throw their entire brain behind supporting a course of action or person and sticking with it no matter the consequences.

This trends well with the tendency for religious fundamentalists to be right-wingers. Being a religious fundamentalist means believing what someone tells you without consideration or question. Therefore, right-wing support of candidates tends to be more faith-based, resulting in people looking up to Bush as some kind of infallible vessel of the Lord instead of a human being whose actions should be considered and scrutinized.

There are countless right-of-center scholars and thinkers who are highly intelligent and whose ideas are based on rational thought, but to generalize, I think that most right-wingers tend to be intellectually lazy, absolutist in their beliefs, prone to be dependent on external instructions for what to think, and are inherently self-centered (sociopathic?).

[PurpleChez]

50. Right. There's a question of causality...

I agree 100% that a lot of extreme RW'ers (and, to be honest, some extreme LW'ers) might exhibit behaviors that we associate with mental illness (however mild). But to suggest that mental illness begets conservativism or that all conservatives can be written off as mentally ill would be absolutely untennable by any standards. You made some good points.

[stepnw1f]

44. Right Wingers Tend to Be Very Irrational

and emotionally disengaged in caring for people who struggle. Makes sense to me.

[peekaloo]

46. kick

:crazy: