I really do think that most people are sensible and level-headed and … well … willing and able to use their brains, when it seems important.
Then I read stuff like this:
Evolution, that is, the idea that human beings developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life
Definitely or probably true: 53%
Definitely or probably false: 44%
Okay, well at least a narrow majority believe in evolution. On the other hand.
Creationism, that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years
Definitely or probably true: 66%
Definitely or probably false: 31%
I’m not sure about the folks who seem to have agreed with both statements. Regardless — yeesh.
On the bright side, 70% indicated that a presidential candidate’s views on evolution are not really relevant to whether they are qualified to be president. Which is disturbing in and of itself, but also means, one hopes, that the hefty pro-Creationist bent of the public will not have a substantial effect.
Again, yeesh.
(via Les)
UPDATE: Aha. I feel better. It’s skewed because of Republicans.
A Gallup poll released Monday said that while the country is about evenly split over whether the theory of evolution is true, Republicans disbelieve it by more than 2-to-1.
Republicans saying they don’t believe in evolution outnumbered those who do by 68 percent to 30 percent in the survey. Democrats believe in evolution by 57 percent to 40 percent, as do independents by a 61 percent to 37 percent margin.
Though, to be fair — neither the Dems nor the Indies have much to crow about here.
Again, with the yeesh.
(via SEB)