In the post-election environment, conservatives’ appreciation for facts, evidence, and reason is taking longer than expected.
Nearly half of Republican voters say that ACORN — the community organizing group that closed in 2010 — aided in stealing the 2012 election for President Obama, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
The survey, conducted by Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling, found that 49 percent of GOP voters believe that the president did not legitimately win reelection because ACORN interfered with the vote.
So, ACORN doesn’t exist, but nearly half of self-identified Republican voters suspect the defunct group of boosting Obama’s clear win. This really isn’t healthy.
That said, Jamelle Bouie had a sensible defense of the right on this, arguing, “Kevin Drum calls this evidence of the ‘Fox News effect’ — the process by which conservative propaganda outlets convince their viewers of things that just aren’t true — but I think there’s a better, more charitable explanation. In short, a large number of Republicans don’t like President Obama, and when offered a chance to endorse something that signals that dislike, they did it, even if the “something” is absolutely insane.”
Perhaps, but as Steve M. noted, Fox Nation published a lengthy series of items throughout the election season telling conservatives that ACORN really does exist and is up to nefarious misdeeds. It’s quite possible, then, that many on the right still fear the non-existent group precisely because they’ve been told to by news organizations they trust.
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