Poll: Liberals more in touch with Great Beyond than conservatives

Washington Times ^ | 12/10/2009 | Jennifer Harper

[markomalley]

Politics and policy are not the only things that separate conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats. There's a partisan divide when it comes to the proverbial Great Beyond as well.

Twenty-one percent of Republicans and 36 percent of Democrats have been in touch with the dearly departed. Nine percent of the Grand Old Party have consulted a fortuneteller, compared to 22 percent of the Democrats. And 15 percent of Republicans say that yoga is a "spiritual" practice, compared to 31 percent of Democrats.

"Conservatives and Republicans report fewer experiences than liberals or Democrats communicating with the dead, seeing ghosts and consulting fortunetellers or psychics," said the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, which tallied such things across a wide swath of the American public and released its findings Thursday.

Consider that 23 percent of conservatives and 35 percent of liberals say that they have been in touch with the dead. Eighteen percent of conservatives and 33 percent of liberals believe in reincarnation. Another 18 percent of conservatives condone the power of "spiritual energy" compared to 30 percent of liberals.

In addition, 17 percent of both ideologies believe in the "evil eye," or the casting of a curse, the study said. One out of 10 conservatives have visited a fortuneteller, compared to a fifth of liberals who say they have done the same.

Wait, there's more. The political parties don't see eye to eye when it comes to the "evil eye" either.

Just 12 percent of the Republicans put any credence in the "evil eye", while 19 percent of Democrats believe in the phenomenon.

The findings were based on a nationwide survey of 4,013 adults conducted through the month of August.

[markomalley]

Alrighty then.

Of course, this does not reflect the views of FReepers, who clearly believe in the power of Zot.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

35 percent of liberals say that they have been in touch with the dead

No surprise there, they've been channeling Karl Marx for as long as I can remember.

[Puppage]

Poll: Liberals more in touch with Great Beyond than conservatives

Because they're such church goers?

[GodGunsGuts]

LOL!

[The_Victor]

Twenty-one percent of Republicans and 36 percent of Democrats have been in touch with the dearly departed. Nine percent of the Grand Old Party have consulted a fortuneteller, compared to 22 percent of the Democrats. And 15 percent of Republicans say that yoga is a "spiritual" practice, compared to 31 percent of Democrats.

That's not the "Great Beyond" that they're in touch with, it's just charlatans and swindlers.

[JasonC]

Yeah but, it was a hopey changey contact with the dead. Not a creepy contact with the dead.

(lol)...

[paulycy]

Of course, this does not reflect the views of FReepers, who clearly believe in the power of Zot.

[fish hawk]

Liberals in touch with Be Yawn.

[all the best]

Well they sure are out of touch with the reality of this world.

[domenad]

Any Republican that doesn’t believe in the “evil eye” hasn’t seen enough Helen Thomas pics.

[Emmett McCarthy]

There’s that guy on TV who thinks it’s a big deal that he helps people talk to their dead relatives. So what? Give me someone who can keep me from having to talk to some of my live relatives, OK? That could be a help, especially with the holdays coming up.

[hflynn]

Must be a misprint. I think it should read Great Beyonce

[Tzimisce]

...I’d feel better if psychics were advising the president right now.

They’d do a better job than these “experts” who are constantly surprised. Probably work cheaper too....

[mountainlion]

Poll: Liberals more in touch with Great Beyond than conservatives
Because they’re such church goers?

Church of Satin?

[Free_at_last_-2001]

35 percent of liberals say that they have been in touch with the dead - they meet up every polling day!

[MNDude]

kind of misleading headline.

[rdax]

35 percent of liberals say that they have been in touch with the dead

"the dead" are one of their major voting blocks.

[xtinct]

All this proves is that more Dems are on drugs than conservatives. BUT I already knew that they had diminished brain capacity for some reason. They don’t call libs tree huggers for nothin...

[Russ]

The bottom line in all this is that the VAST majority of both liberals and conservatives are not buying into this nonsense.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Well, that explains a lot. I can see where our differences arise with the Democrats and RINOs. It's kind’ve hard to debate with people who seek advice from dead people, believe in fortune tellers, and generally have abdicated all responsibility for rational thought. What a dunce I've been. I keep trying to reason with them.