GOP: now the party of the ill-educated

[woolfe9998]

A friend e-mailed me this chart earlier today.



What's interesting to me is that for decades I assumed that conservatism in general appealed to the less well educated, and vice versa with liberalism. Well, that was not true as of 2010. In 2010, those with high school or less were considerably more likely to be democrats. Well, now in 2020, that has flipped entirely, as with all other categories of education. Also, polling data shows that after being white (i.e. race) low education was the single most predictive factor in voting for Trump. Remember when Trump said "I love poorly educated voters?" He had good reason.

Trump has clearly lured poorly educated democrats while sending well educated republicans fleeing to the other side. The obvious conclusion is that Trump's brand of know-nothingism, which seems to be the general direction of the republican party right now, is incompatible with being knowledgeable about the world and thinking critically, which are both products of higher education.

The conservative counter-narrative is that college brainwashes people into liberalism because of its "liberal bias." But that assertion has been made for decades. It was being made when college educated people were evenly split between the two parties. So it is clearly incorrect. The problem for the educated wasn't conservatism per se. It is Trump's noxious brand of it, which is fast taking over the entire American right.

What do we do about this? It seems a lack of higher education leaves people vulnerable to being duped by Trump and this insane conservative propaganda. Maybe Bernie's idea of free college for all is something we really need to look at, in spite of its high price tag.

 

[ElFenix]

now?

 

[zzyzxroad]

A friend e-mailed me this chart earlier today.

View attachment 39291

What's interesting to me is that for decades I assumed that conservatism in general appealed to the less well educated, and vice versa with liberalism. Well, that was not true as of 2010. In 2010, those with high school or less were considerably more likely to be democrats. Well, now in 2020, that has flipped entirely, as with all other categories of education. Also, polling data shows that after being white (i.e. race) low education was the single most predictive factor in voting for Trump. Remember when Trump said "I love poorly educated voters?" He had good reason.

Trump has clearly lured poorly educated democrats while sending well educated republicans fleeing to the other side. The obvious conclusion is that Trump's brand of no-nothingism, which seems to be the general direction of the republican party right now, is incompatible with being knowledgeable about the world and thinking critically, which are both products of higher education.

The conservative counter-narrative is that college brainwashes people into liberalism because of its "liberal bias." But that assertion has been made for decades. It was being made when college educated people were evenly split between the two parties. So it is clearly incorrect. The problem for the educated wasn't conservatism per se. It is Trump's noxious brand of it, which is fast taking over the entire American right.

What do we do about this? It seems a lack of higher education leaves people vulnerable to being duped by Trump and this insane conservative propaganda. Maybe Bernie's idea of free college for all is something we really need to look at, in spite of its high price tag.

In an unrelated study.

 

[soulcougher73]

Its just all those liberal arts "underwater basket weaving" master degrees out there, and ANTIFA studies. Duh

 

[TheVrolok]

How long until we get a certain someone coming in yelling about how terminal degree doesn't equate to intelligence! Rabble rabble rabble!

 

[pauldun170]

That chart is hillarious

 

[ch33zw1z]

Thanks Obama

 

[ch33zw1z]

In an unrelated study.

View attachment 39294

Although the OP did not make me laugh, and I appreciate @woolfe9998 usual well presented posts that inspire thought, this particular post did make lol. Talk about a blast from my past, all I heard growing up was the end times were near, you know, the same thing they said 1000 years ago.

 

[TheVrolok]

Although the OP did not make me laugh, and I appreciate @woolfe9998 usual well presented posts that inspire thought, this particular post did make lol. Talk about a blast from my past, all I heard growing up was the end times were near, you know, the same thing they said 1000 years ago.

Absolutely, my whole family after the election went right back to "Well, democrats will certainly ruin the country THIS time."

 

[shortylickens]

they been anti-intellectual since the christians took them over decades ago. Barry Goldwater warned everyone about them, and no one listened.

Its funny because its so obvious. The conservatives love to praise Reagan and his phenomenal economy, but the son of a bitch actually harmed public education in the 80's, when he should have been pushing it.
We could have a nation full of highly educated people right now, or a nation full of morons.

The fact 75 million people voted for a second term of Donald is a pretty good indicator whats going on.

 

[Captante]

no-nothingism

Wait ... wouldn't that make it SOMETHINGism ?!?



*(apologies ... I'll see myself back to OT now)

 

[Jaskalas]

What's interesting to me is that for decades I assumed that conservatism in general appealed to the less well educated, and vice versa with liberalism. Well, that was not true as of 2010. In 2010, those with high school or less were considerably more likely to be democrats. Well, now in 2020, that has flipped entirely...

That is trickle down. Reaganomics coming home to roost as the great swath of white Middle Class families lose their storied American Dream. The education level of their children is an immediate consequence. Cannot afford it. Whites are slowly becoming as poor and as trapped into poverty as Minorities always have been. I believe that data reflects this.

Update: Rejected by data.

 

[woolfe9998]

That is trickle down. Reaganomics coming home to roost as the great swath of white Middle Class families lose their storied American Dream. The education level of their children is an immediate consequence. Cannot afford it. Whites are slowly becoming as poor and as trapped into poverty as Minorities always have been. I believe that data reflects this.

No, actually it reflects nothing of the sort. It is based on a poll which interviews people with various amounts of education, and shows a breakdown by party ID in each category. It says nothing whatsoever about what percentage of the total people polled were in each educational category.

To answer the question you raise, here is census data:

U.S. Census Bureau Releases New Educational Attainment Data

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released findings from the Educational Attainment in the United States: 2019 table package.

www.census.gov

.

From 2010 to 2019, the percentage of people age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher jumped from 29.9% to 36.0%.

Oops, sorry.

 

[woolfe9998]

they been anti-intellectual since the christians took them over decades ago. Barry Goldwater warned everyone about them, and no one listened.

Its funny because its so obvious. The conservatives love to praise Reagan and his phenomenal economy, but the son of a bitch actually harmed public education in the 80's, when he should have been pushing it.
We could have a nation full of highly educated people right now, or a nation full of morons.

The fact 75 million people voted for a second term of Donald is a pretty good indicator whats going on.

Maybe, but then why is it that 10 years ago registered republicans had similar to slightly higher levels of education as democrats, but in the past 10 years that has changed to where they are notably less well educated?

The fact is there was always a rural white component which could be described as "anti-intellectual." But there was always a more upscale, suburban class of republicans. Those people seem to have fled the party, and recently.

Something has changed these past 10 years.

 

[Jaskalas]

No, actually it reflects nothing of the sort.

In 2019, 40.1% of non-Hispanic whites age 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher, up from 33.2% in 2010.​

Huh, that's an astonishing figure when held up to the change of education among Republicans. I presumed it had to be a change in education levels among their demographic group - not a change in the demographic affiliation itself. Apparently people are changing political parties.

 

[hal2kilo]

Maybe, but then why is it that 10 years ago registered republicans had similar to slightly higher levels of education as democrats, but in the past 10 years that has changed to where they are notably less well educated?

The fact is there was always a rural white component which could be described as "anti-intellectual." But there was always a more upscale, suburban class of republicans. Those people seem to have fled the party, and recently.

Something has changed these past 10 years.

The country club Republicans. Yea, I think they are gone or have also gone off the deep end. The Rockefeller wing pretty much disappeared after Goldwater.

 

[pmv]

I find it a bit dispiriting. I thought the whole point of a 'left' was to represent the interests of the less privileged majority, the ordinary people or the working class. If you've ended up with a situation where what passes for a left is now overwhelmingly representing the highly formally-educated professional-managerial class - while the right has captured those who ought to be the force for change, surely something has gone wrong somewhere?

I mean I'm sure those figures are accurate, but I can't help but find them depressing. "PhDs of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your tenure!" doesn't have quite the right ring to it.

Though is there not the antecedent of the "Know Nothings" a couple of centuries ago? Didn't they also combine ignorance with resentment against Catholic migrants, topped off with weird conspiracy theories? This has been a recurrent feature of US politics, no? Is the current Republican party not just a reincarnation of the Know Nothing party?

Statistics I see for the UK seem depressingly similar, at least the contemporary figures - I can't find historical data, but I'm pretty sure that here it was completely the reverse in the past. Now we are more like the US. Though the big dividing line here now seems to be age.

On the other hand, maybe it is more to do with the changing nature of education, and access to it, or even to a change in what constitutes the working class - I guess a lot of jobs requiring qualifications are now rather proletarianised.

 

[woolfe9998]

The country club Republicans. Yea, I think they are gone or have also gone off the deep end. The Rockefeller wing pretty much disappeared after Goldwater.

I think the data actually demonstrates clearly that whatever educated component was still in the republican party as of 10 years ago, much of it has fled these past five years because of Trump and the entire culture supporting and surrounding him. The college educated don't feel comfortable being affiliated with the party anymore.

Likewise, the GOP has picked up some low education white democrats. Education, especially among white people, has now become the chief predictor of party affiliation.

Which is why I firmly believe in at least making college a lot less expensive. Education seems to be the best antidote for resisting the propaganda of the far right.

 

[MrSquished]

Which is why I firmly believe in at least making college a lot less expensive. Education seems to be the best antidote for resisting the propaganda of the far right.

100%

Education and being exposed to different viewpoints, experiences, history - it's crucial in building a better more functional society.

 

[Zorba]

Maybe, but then why is it that 10 years ago registered republicans had similar to slightly higher levels of education as democrats, but in the past 10 years that has changed to where they are notably less well educated?

The fact is there was always a rural white component which could be described as "anti-intellectual." But there was always a more upscale, suburban class of republicans. Those people seem to have fled the party, and recently.

Something has changed these past 10 years.

I think a lot of those people agreed with Republicans on lower taxes and no abortion. But Trump made it very obvious what else they were getting with that package and the vail of ignorance was lifted.

 

[woolfe9998]

I think a lot of those people agreed with Republicans on lower taxes and no abortion. But Trump made it very obvious what else they were getting with that package and the vail of ignorance was lifted.

Agreed, and I also think some were just traditionally republicans, from republican families, and it took Trump for them to finally realize it wasn't the party for them. My wife is an example, except she made her switch shortly after Bush took office. Thought he was a moron and a rube. You can imagine what she thinks of Trump.

 

[shortylickens]

Maybe, but then why is it that 10 years ago registered republicans had similar to slightly higher levels of education as democrats, but in the past 10 years that has changed to where they are notably less well educated?

The fact is there was always a rural white component which could be described as "anti-intellectual." But there was always a more upscale, suburban class of republicans. Those people seem to have fled the party, and recently.

Something has changed these past 10 years.

it takes time for major change.
the lack of education by itself was not enough. a little bit of time is needed before people decided to replace knowledge with blind belief. thats what Breitbart and Fox News have been pushing the last 10 years. Fox started with lies in 1996 when they launched, but the move to encourage blind followership and blatant, demonstrable lies occurred some time later.

Rupert Murdoch played the long game. He's a fucking genius and we should all be terrified of him.

 

[woolfe9998]

it takes time for major change.
the lack of education by itself was not enough. a little bit of time is needed before people decided to replace knowledge with blind belief. thats what Breitbart and Fox News have been pushing the last 10 years. Fox started with lies in 1996 when they launched, but the move to encourage blind followership and blatant, demonstrable lies occurred some time later.

Rupert Murdoch played the long game. He's a fucking genius and we should all be terrified of him.

Oh yes, conservative media (propaganda is a better word) has played an absolutely pivotal role in this. Without it, we would never have had Trump.

 

[Jaskalas]

Might we guess that those with less education are also more frustrated with the economy and vulnerable to propaganda as a result?

Scapegoats must have sounded very appetizing to them. Blaming Mexicans and Chinese rather than Republican policy. Easy to point the finger, harder to learn economics and realized how you've been played.

 

[DarthKyrie]

it takes time for major change.
the lack of education by itself was not enough. a little bit of time is needed before people decided to replace knowledge with blind belief. thats what Breitbart and Fox News have been pushing the last 10 years. Fox started with lies in 1996 when they launched, but the move to encourage blind followership and blatant, demonstrable lies occurred some time later.

Rupert Murdoch played the long game. He's a fucking genius and we should all be terrified of him.

It's hard for me to say this, but he is worse than Emporer Palpatine.