Poll Results Confirm Polarization of Parties "Facts"

In a recent poll conducted by Research 2000, the differences between what liberals believe and what conservatives do became very clear. When asked if death panels were included in the new health care reform, 57% of self-identified conservatives said yes or not sure, while only 12% of self-identified liberals answered in kind. This means that over half of self-identified conservatives polled believed something as fact that is not.

Where does this come from? When asked where they got their news, 59% of self-identified conservatives answered FOXNews, while only 23% answered with CNN and 8% with MSNBC. Could this have something to do with where they are getting their incorrect data? Let's look at the subsequent questions.

Pollsters also asked respondents if they thought that four common myths were true. Here are the answers. Does the bill provide health care coverage for illegal aliens? 72% of FOX viewers said yes, while 41% of CNN and MSNBC viewers said yes. When asked if they though health care reform was a "government takeover", 79% of FOX viewers said yes, while only 39% of CNN and MSNBC viewers agreed. When asked if they thought that the bill would pay for abortions, 69% of FOX viewers said yes, while only 40% of CNN and MSNBC viewers agreed. When asked if the bill would stop or limit care for the elderly, 75% of FOX viewers agreed and only 30% of CNN and MSNBC viewers did.

We are trying to have a debate on health care between two groups of people that have two different sets of facts. The problem is that while the conservatives do have a different set of facts, they are not facts. They are incorrect misconceptions that they have picked up from sound bites on media outlets. It is one thing to have differing opinions, but you cannot have differing facts.

We have facts and the conservatives have thoughts and ideas that are not true. How do you have a constructive discussion when one party is using facts and the other is arguing with feelings?

The answer is simple. You don't. They don't want a debate, so why are we still trying?