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competing realities

A new report from the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland finds key disparities between George W. Bush and John Kerry supporters with regard to their understanding of certain key facts about the war in Iraq.

Even after the final report of Charles Duelfer to Congress saying that Iraq did not have a significant WMD program, 72% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq had actual WMD (47%) or a major program for developing them (25%). Fifty-six percent assume that most experts believe Iraq had actual WMD and 57% also assume, incorrectly, that Duelfer concluded Iraq had at least a major WMD program. Kerry supporters hold opposite beliefs on all these points.

Similarly, 75% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda, and 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found. Sixty percent of Bush supporters assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts, and 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission. Here again, large majorities of Kerry supporters have exactly opposite perceptions.

Download the full PIPA report: “The Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters” (PDF file).

The Duelfer report:

• Washington Post: “U.S. ‘Almost All Wrong’ on Weapons” (10/07/04)
• FindLaw.com: Full text of the Duelfer report
• FindLaw.com: Key findings from the Duelfer report (PDF file)

The 9/11 Commission report:

• Full report (07/22/04)
• Executive summary (PDF file)

A PIPA report last fall found that frequent Fox News viewers were more likely to hold key misperceptions about the U.S. war with Iraq.

(Link found via Dan Froomkin’s White House Briefing column at washingtonpost.com)