Bush Voters Have Lower IQs

A table that breaks down states by income, average IQ, and whether they voted for Bush or Gore has been making the rounds. It appears to show, pretty dramatically, that the states with higher average incomes, and higher average IQs, voted for Gore. Whereas the lower income, lower IQ states went for Bush. The comment accompanying this table is usually 'Come to your own conclusions," or something like that. My first thought, on seeing this, was that it's awfully similar to the Lovenstein Institute IQ Report. But I suspect that the figures, in this case, might be correct... in the sense that they were produced by actual research, not just invented out of whole cloth. They appear to derive from a book published in 2002 titled IQ and the Wealth of Nations by Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen. I haven't actually seen a copy of this book (and since it costs $81.95 I'm probably not going to either unless I find it at the library). But the real question here seems to be whether, even if 'actual' research produced these IQ figures, do they mean anything? I've always been skeptical about IQ tests, so I would say 'No, they don't.' And I'm saying this even though I'm a Democrat.

Update: The IQ figures do not come from IQ and the Wealth of Nations, as confirmed by Richard Lynn, the book's author, whom I emailed to inquire about this. Therefore, it seems right now that the figures have actually been pulled out of thin air. In other words, it's a hoax. But it looks like The American Assembler fell for it, among others.

Update 2: The person responsible for the hoax appears to be a guy named Robert Calvert who posted the data to a Mensa newsgroup back in 2002. Presumably he did make the data up, since I haven't been able to find any info anywhere that would corroborate it.

Politics

Posted on Tue May 04, 2004



Comments

i agree with phil
Posted by john  on  Sat Jul 03, 2004  at  08:28 PM
Okay, I am not an American, but I have to say, it seems to me a very stoopid thing to do, to vote for more of Dubya Bush!
Posted by April  on  Mon Jul 12, 2004  at  09:26 AM
April spelled "stoopid." The evidence speaks for itself. heheh
Posted by john  on  Mon Jul 12, 2004  at  11:45 AM
Please note the post by Phillip Nolan... where he spelled "stoopid".. Hehehe, it's a joke, innit?
Posted by April  on  Tue Jul 13, 2004  at  06:17 AM
good to know
Posted by john  on  Tue Jul 13, 2004  at  10:32 AM
This is in response to Greg's comments on Tuesday June 29, 04 at 1:41 pm: OK Greg what I want to know is what basis do you have for your remarks? No expertise or evidence to back up your comments so this goes to show just how smart someone is when they cannot back up their facts. You are sir, one of the ones who help promote hoaxes and lies. As Neal Boortz would say, you are an idiot!!!
Posted by Sheri  on  Mon Jul 26, 2004  at  09:51 PM
Here is a popular quote that is truely meant for this subject:

From Neals Boortz's Website:

WHY I THINK VOTING SHOULD BE RESTRICTED

This is one of my favorites. From Alexander Tyler. No, he wasn't writing about the United States. This quote is well over one hundred years old. Tyler was writing about the fall of the Athenian Republic.


"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage."
Posted by Sheri  on  Mon Jul 26, 2004  at  10:22 PM
Greg spelled "xenophobic" with a z. Being angry and long-winded is no excuse for not proofreading.
Posted by Dan P.  on  Fri Aug 13, 2004  at  02:34 PM
Most educated people tend to assume intellegence equals wisdom- the two are not connected. I would assume that Marx was a highly intellegent man...I can also point out that his highly intellegent viewpoints resulted in the deaths of over 50 million people in the last century. My point is...this study has no point.
Posted by Paul Stewart  on  Fri Aug 20, 2004  at  02:46 PM
In response to Dan who said on Aug 13 that "being angry and long winded is no excuse for not proofreading", well of course those are the best reasons,Dan. I challenge you to think of better reasons not to proofread. By the way, Xenophobia can be spelled with a Z or a Greek Theta instead of Chi if one wants to.I did it in 1978 and it didn't hurt my career at all.Harry Truman did it in 1948, however, but some calm proofreader caught it and look what happenend to Harry.
Posted by Bob  on  Sun Aug 22, 2004  at  03:09 PM
I like April's comment, Down with King Bush 😊
Posted by John  on  Wed Sep 15, 2004  at  05:44 PM
I love it when I hear someone say that voting rights should be restricted to smart people. One can draw two conclusions from this comment: First, you believe that smart people agree with you. Second, you're not as smart as you think.
Posted by M. Berrett  on  Sat Sep 18, 2004  at  09:03 PM
:-) :-( :-{}
Posted by j  on  Mon Sep 20, 2004  at  05:30 AM
bush is a beggar
Posted by j  on  Mon Sep 20, 2004  at  05:30 AM
I don
Posted by carlos  on  Sun Oct 17, 2004  at  08:46 PM
. oooO..............
.....(....).. .Oooo...
......)../.....(....)....
.....(_/.......)../.....
...............(_/....... bush was here
Posted by jo  on  Tue Oct 26, 2004  at  06:57 PM
OK, the IQ thing might be a hoax, but this isn't: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~bergen/EducationObesityBush.htm
Posted by Ben  on  Tue Oct 26, 2004  at  08:46 PM
Here's a really good Bush/Kerry supporter comparison. It reveals quite a bit about how Bush vs. Kerry supporters perceive events in the world...very interesting. http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Pres_Election_04/Report10_21_04.pdf
Posted by Karen Olsen  on  Thu Nov 04, 2004  at  09:21 PM
85% of statistics are made up the spot.
hey, fuck you, you redneck republicans.
stay at walmart you mcdonalds eating nascar hillbillies.
ha!
Posted by Marcos  on  Fri Nov 05, 2004  at  05:47 PM
I find it funny that the Conservatives in this argument have class, where as the Liberals refer to us as--and I quote--"fuck you, you redneck republicans.stay at walmart you mcdonalds eating nascar hillbillies." Damn, that sounds like a reliable source.

Is it only me in this argument that finds it quite hilarious about the comparisons between the RNC and DNC? If we're so spiteful, full of hate, and just plain "lousy rednecks", then why, pray tell, were participants at the RNC trampled by LIBERAL PROTESTORS?

I'm sorry, but, correct me if I'm wrong, as I remember, there were only a handful--if any at all--of PEACEFUL demonstrations by the Republicans at the DNC. Now, can somebody please explain to me how this could possibly be? Well, perhaps the answer lies in the simple fact that REPUBLICANS ACTUALLY HAVE JOBS. Whereas quite a lot of Democrats are dependent on government support, via welfare, food stamps, etc.

OH SNAP. How could this be? I mean, I could have sworn that, as Marcos so nicely put it: "hey, fuck you, you redneck republicans. stay at walmart you mcdonalds eating nascar hillbillies." In other words condoning the entire Conservative population as lifeless hillbillies who have brains of mush. Well
butter my butt and call me a biscuit!

Sorry, but I'm not buying that bull. Although I am a church-going woman from the South, I am by no means a hillbilly, redneck, or damn cracker for that matter. Next time, Marcos, dear, please try making up your own mind. Got it?
Posted by Nicole  on  Wed Dec 15, 2004  at  09:34 PM
Hey guys interesting weigh in on the debates.. Just a thought, the way the states broke down I was surprised to see California getting 44% for Bush, other "smarter states" came really close to falling for Bush too even though they failed. I don't think it's fair to make mass generalizations that say one state because it voted more for Bush or more for Kerry and has a better IQ proves that they are stupid voters. Suppose, all the smart people in say Florida voted for Bush and all the dumb ones voted for Kerry... Even though Bush won.. he could have also gotten all the intelligent ones in the process. I think this study is silly and we all are allowed to vote because we are in a country that believes in free choice, autonomy, and the God given right of freedom. If you call yourself a liberal you should study Liberal theory and neutrality before you check Democrat again on your voter card.

By the way, I'm not a hick Conservative, I'm from California I live 2 minutes from the beach in Malibu, CA. I want you to know that there are a lot of intelligent Conservatives out there, I have met personally. To just say we are stupid is silly. That is a very immature argument, if you want to pick on Conservatives at least try to do it logically instead of making these huge assumptions that states that voted for Bush are "dumb." I voted for Bush here in Cali, but my vote didn't show that there are smart Conservatives here. I would bet that there are more intelligent people in California and 44% of the vote went Bush this time. I think that is more than last time with Gore. I'm not attacking the validity of the study, since I believe that already to be proven fabricated, but I'm attacking the logic of it in the first place.

I know my IQ to be much higher than what they show as a stupid Conservative. Democrats run off the ticket usually of "We will protect the disadvantaged" this works great, unless you are talking about Conservatives who have lower IQ's huh? This study basically called half the country retarded. Anyways, I want everyone to know that there are Conservatives in more than just the Bible belt, we are active, we are changing things, and yes we have Iq's over 140.
Thanks,
-Shane
Posted by SHane  on  Mon Dec 20, 2004  at  06:21 AM
We must remember as conservatives, anything we do is justified, Jesus is on our side, he will save us(the republicans) and send the liberals to hell, just as he did on 9/11 and various other atrociticies carried out by the evils of the world. I must go now i'm installing changers and slot machines in the congregational hall, and finishing my letter to Jesus, er Geroge in reference to changing finantial law allowing credit card companies, and banks to charge a 33% jesus intrest on all accounts in which me and reverend falwell will receive half the proceeds, while the other half goes to special intrest groups to fund future (republicunt) presidential campaigns.

Yours as god
Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell
Posted by Pat Robertson  on  Tue Mar 15, 2005  at  01:47 PM
"85% of statistics are made up the spot." - Marcos

I agree. 10% of all people know THAT.
Posted by Rod  on  Tue Mar 15, 2005  at  02:30 PM
Too bad greed isn't being discussed
Posted by John Beamer  on  Tue Nov 15, 2005  at  05:05 PM
All of you Bush haters - How is this Obama thing working out for you now? Are you scared yt?
DOn't blame me. I voted McCain.
Posted by Steve  on  Sat Aug 08, 2009  at  06:59 PM
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