Poll shows vast ignorance of Constitution even among conservatives
The Washington Times reports,
The Times/JZ Analytics poll found self-identified Republicans and self-identified tea party sympathizers often shared the same views as other voters. For example, 66 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of tea party supporters said the Constitution guarantees a right to privacy, which was almost identical to the 68 percent of all voters who said the same thing.
The same held true on Congress‘ power to coin money and the right to a secret ballot.
Republicans, though, were far less likely to say the Constitution guarantees the right to education — which it does not — than the general public. While 71 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents said education was in the Constitution, only 47 percent of Republicans did.
Even though better than Democrats, it’s an eye-rolling shame that almost half of conservatives think the Constitution guarantees a “right to education,” and even worse that they would consider education a “right” to begin with! This is the creeping influence of leftism, probably through widespread use of public education.
The report continues,
Virgil Goode, a former congressman who is the Constitution Party’s presidential candidate this year, said he wasn’t surprised that many of the questions flummoxed voters, particularly with all of the confusion Supreme Court precedents add into the mix.
For example, the right to privacy — which majorities in most demographics said was guaranteed by the Constitution — is not in the actual text, but the Supreme Court said it exists in the “penumbras” and “emanations” of other protections from government intrusion. . . .
Another complex question was the separation of church and state.
Among all voters, 82 percent said that is guaranteed in the Constitution, even though it is not explicitly part of the document. Instead, the First Amendment prohibits an establishment of religion, but also guarantees individuals’ free exercise of it.