dragonlady7

So there really are two entirely separate realities in the minds of voters.

It is normal during elections for supporters of presidential candidates to have fundamental disagreements about values (such as the proper role of the government) or strategies (such as how best to defend US interests). As we have seen, the current election is unique in that Bush supporters and Kerry supporters have profoundly different perceptions of reality.

This is why Bush and Kerry supporters can't just debate with one another: important parts of reality are simply not the same to each.

We're all losers when debates become this polarized. At least I have the dubious consolation of being on the side whose opinions seem largely based on fact of one sort or another, as in independently-verifiable fact.

Another possible explanation is that Bush supporters cling to these beliefs because they are necessary for their support for the decision to go to war with Iraq. Asked whether the US should have gone to war with Iraq if US intelligence had concluded that Iraq was not making WMD or providing support to al Qaeda, 58% of Bush supporters said the US should not have, and 61% assume that in this case the president would not have. To support the president and to accept that he took the US to war based on mistaken assumptions is difficult to bear, especially in light of the continuing costs in terms of lives and money. Apparently, to avoid this cognitive dissonance, Bush supporters suppress awareness of unsettling information.

p.s. Don't read the chart on page 12 unless you have a box of tissues handy.