Study Finds More Than Half of Bush/Cheney ’04 Voters Don’t Admit It

Philadelphia, PA--More than half of the Americans who voted for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the 2004 general elections do not admit to doing so, according to a study by the Institute for Basic Political Research. The report finds a startling lack of memory and disorientation among nearly 63 percent of Bush voters who are reminded of the last presidential election.

The findings are part of a study on the declining levels of support Americans have had for the Bush administration since the president won reelection. A team led by Dr. Ann Baxter interviewed voters who in a 2005 study had identified themselves as voting for Bush/Cheney in the last election.

For the study, researchers had planned to ask a series of questions on how current events such as the war in Iraq related to participants’ opinions of the president. However, it became clear early on that those questions would baffle participants who disputed casting a vote for Bush.

“We weren’t prepared for that,” admits Dr. Baxter. “Yet there our subjects were, again and again, providing information contrary to what they provided in 2005.”

Many such participants simply claimed they did not vote in 2004. In an interview similar to dozens of others, one participant claimed to have stayed home on election day 2004 despite self-identifying as a “two-time Bush voter” in 2005. When asked what he did that day, the participant said, “mowed the lawn.” When researchers asked where he mowed grass if he resides in a 5th-floor apartment, the participant changed his answer to, “Vacuuming. Lots of vacuuming that day.” Pressed a second time for clarification, the man said, “I would like some french fries.”

If that interview surprised researchers, it was only the beginning. Ten subjects insisted they cast a vote for former President Ronald Reagan, seven claimed they were hospitalized on election day, and six have no recollection whatsoever of November 2, 2004.

“A few of the participants were confused during the entire interview,” said Baxter. “There were the Reagan voters and such, who were plenty loony in their own right, but there were also people who were disoriented as soon as the interview began.”

“One person just blanked when asked which presidential ticket he voted for in the last election,” continued Baxter. “The poor guy was just so confused and told us, ‘I voted for Bush over Gore.’ Our interviewer then clarified and asked about Bush versus Kerry, which caused the man to blanch and go quiet for a while. Later he asked, ‘What year is this?’”

While some study participants were confused, others were dangerous. At least four participants grew belligerent and violent with members of Dr. Baxter’s team. Recalling such an incident, one investigator said, “I could tell the subject was agitated, since he responded to the first question by spitting at me and saying, ‘This is all a pack of lies.’”

“I admit, that interview was intriguing for a while,” said the researcher. “I felt like a detective undertaking a criminal interrogation--like something out of Law & Order--until the subject jumped over the table and started clobbering my face.”

That participant was later arrested and charged with assault.

So what do participants say they were doing on November 2, 2004 if they were not voting for President Bush? Cleaning out the gutters, alleged one Bush voter. Dusting the family National Geographic collection, claimed another. Still others said they were working overtime, gardening, busy taking care of the kids, ministering to prostitutes, delving into home-improvement projects, taking out the garbage, attending Bible study, and eating peyote.

Baxter says it is difficult to know exactly what has caused this phenomenon. But she speculates it likely has its origins in the same issues that have dogged President Bush’s approval ratings.

“I’m guessing a follow-up study with hypnosis will point to dissatisfaction with the war,” suggested Baxter. “Or the fact that as a conservative president he’s dramatically increased spending while expanding the size of the federal government, or the way his relationship to the religious right has compromised the Republicans’ chances of retaining the White House in 2008, or that his job performance may hand the presidency to Hillary Clinton, or his proposal to turn July into National Torture Month, or that he vetoes a few billion dollars for childrens’ health insurance while the Iraq tab inches toward one trillion, or how he put his hands all over German Chancellor Angela Merkel that one time, or how when he talks unscripted he sounds like an 8th-grader who didn’t do his homework. You know, something like that.”