Think George Bush’s loyalists need Dr. Phil on speed dial? It turns out you’re right!
Ron at Liberal Values Blog posts a fascinating thesis written by Christopher Lohse – a social work master’s student at Southern Connecticut State University, who argues he has proven what many Democrats have suspected for years: a direct link between mental illness and support for President Bush.
The thesis originally appeared in the New Haven Advocate.
The thesis draws on a survey of 69 psychiatric outpatients in three Connecticut locations during the 2004 presidential election. 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.
Lohse explains:
“Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader. If your world is very mixed up, there’s something very comforting about someone telling you, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’”
Lohse goes on:
“Bush supporters had significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry.”
Lohse says the trend isn’t unique to Bush: A 1977 study by Frumkin & Ibrahim found psychiatric patients preferred Nixon over McGovern in the 1972 election.
10 Comments
+ at 6:50 pm
Hahahahahahahahaha! Always suspected it.
+ at 6:56 pm
These are the very same people who wanted to skin Clinton alive for lying about oral sex with an intern, but look the other way when Bush lied the country into a war resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,000 U.S. soldiers. Does it get any sicker than this?
+ at 7:02 pm
I remember attending a conference in Dallas in the early 1990’s. One of our speakers – a native Texan proudly informed us that Texas had more churches per capita than any other state.
All I could think about when he shared this nugget of local lore was all the titty palaces along the highway I saw driving in from the airport. Miles and miles of ‘Gentlemen’s Clubs.’
Of course, this was Bush country after all.
+ at 7:07 pm
Think Pink, that’s a funny story. A great description of Jesusland and the people who vote Bush, no matter what.
+ at 7:18 pm
Makes perfect sense. You’d have to have to be a few screws short of a dozen to vote for George Bush to begin with and certainly to vote to send him back for a 2nd term after his disasterous 1st term. Bush supporters are delusional.
+ at 7:48 pm
Nothing feels so good as clinical confirmation that we’re sane and Bushites are certifiable loons!
Now, the only question remaining is, can Bush’s loyalists be cured of their sickness?
+ at 12:22 am
I call them members of the Cult of Bush. Split their brains open and grey mush spills our like chunky liquid. It’s like Night of the Living Dead!
+ at 6:46 am
The description is a snap shot of my former mother-in-law: a glassy eyed lemming who worshipped the Republican party and always voted GOP. Even when their policies had a negative effect on her life, she would support them. Even though I haven’t seen my former mother-in-law in 10 years, I am sure she voted for Bush and embraces all of Karl Rove’s propaganda.
+ at 8:45 am
If this thesis is accurate then almost half the country has serious mental health issues. Judging from the amount of spousal and child abuse, cruelty to animals and sheer depravity, I’m hardly surprised the Bushites are loonies.
+ at 10:59 am
I hearby nominate a new term for Bush’s supporters: the Bush Loons.