A new Research 2000/Daily Kos poll of self-identified Republicans was released this morning, and the results, which expose the actual beliefs of many of our neighbors, are stunning. It’s hard for thinking people to wrap their heads around results like this, but here are highlights:

Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not?

Yes 39
No 32
Not Sure 29

For what? Dunno.

Do you think Barack Obama is a socialist?

Yes 63
No 21
Not Sure 16

The next question, of course, should have been “define socialist.” These people, after all, think that the terms socialist and fascist are interchangeable. The next two are stunning:

Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win?

Yes 24
No 43
Not Sure 33

Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election?

Yes 21
No 24
Not Sure 55

So over half of Republicans at least think it’s possible that Obama wants terrorists to win, and that ACORN is such a frightening boogeyman that they could steal ten million votes for Obama. Stunning.

What about gays? What do Republicans really think about gays?

Should openly gay men and women be allowed to serve in the military?

Yes 26
No 55
Not Sure 19

Should same sex couples be allowed to marry?

Yes 7
No 77
Not Sure 16

Should gay couples receive any state or federal benefits?

Yes 11
No 68
Not Sure 21

Should openly gay men and women be allowed to teach in public schools?

Yes 8
No 73
Not Sure 19

OUCH. So only a quarter of them have wrapped their little heads around the idea that gay people defend their freedom to be as ignorant as they want, only seven percent think we should have equal rights, only eleven percent think we should have any rights AT ALL, and only eight percent think we should be able to teach school.

Yeeeeeeah. There’s some major knuckle-dragging going on here.

And the fact that gay Republicans even exist, and that some of these gay Republicans try to defend their party against (correct) charges of homophobia, of bigotry, of abject stupidity continues to be a stunner.

One more, and then go read the rest of the results (don’t miss their fact-free beliefs on reproductive rights) for yourself:

Should public school students be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?

Yes 77
No 15
Not Sure 8

Sheesh! The fact that opinions like this still survive in this country and that people who hold them go through their lives without being laughed at every day is frightening.

Conservatives often complain that the elitist coastal liberals are condescending to them, and really, I think that’s a valid complaint. But we shouldn’t change that. We should be condescending toward these sorts of opinions, because they’re not valid opinions. People are free to hold them, because, hey, it’s America, but we shouldn’t lower ourselves to such a level that we pretend that opinions like this deserve equal time, because they’re not formed based on equal facts or equal reality. None of the above Republican beliefs can be justified with evidence. In fact, only by sustained ignorance can they stand.