Donald Trump Is Turning Republicans Into Anti-Vaxxers

[riversedge]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NH Ethylene (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: dailybeast




Scary07.05.16 12:00 AM ET

Donald Trump Is Turning Republicans Into Anti-Vaxxers
Study after study has shown no link between anti-vaxxers and party affiliation. Until now.

Republicans are more skeptical of vaccine science than we may have previously realized—and Donald Trump may bear some of the blame.

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Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has expressed significant skepticism about vaccine science over the years, even going so far as to suggest vaccines cause autism. As a result, he’s become a hero to many in the anti-vaxx movement—the rare public figure willing to champion their dangerous and incorrect beliefs.

The new data runs counter to the prevailing public view on the relationship between political affiliation and vaccine skepticism—that there is little to no relationship—and suggests that Trump’s ascent in the Republican Party is related to doubts about vaccines among its members.

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Overall, researchers found that having a low intention to vaccinate correlated most strongly with affiliation with the GOP. ........................

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/05/donald-trump-is-turning-republicans-into-anti-vaxxers.html

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Trump latches onto nutty theories with little / no investigation

But, of course, the anti-vaccination meme plays into the anti-government meme.

[hobbit709]

2. Anything involving science they're pretty much against.

[greymattermom]

3. I'll bet that his kids and grandkids are vaccinated

He just spouts back whatever he reads at certain websites. By following his topic of the moment, someone could easily figure out what he'll say next. Someone from the Hillary camp must have already figured this out.

[bemildred]

4. It sounds like he is turning anti-vaxxers into Republicans, not the other way around.

He's attracted them to the Republican Party by agreeing with them.

[dembotoz]

5. oh please let them die off more quickly

[groundloop]

6. Makes perfect sense - studies have shown a correlation between party affiliation and education

I saw an interesting study a few years ago by Dr. Steven Ruggles which showed a strong correlation with how a state voted in presidential elections with the level of education in that state. (The link I had to that study doesn't work any more).

It makes perfect sense that lesser educated people would gravitate toward this dangerous conspiracy theory.

[seabeckind]

8. Slogan mentality.

Attention span problems lead to an educational problem.

[seabeckind]

7. Correlation doesn't equal causation

Stupid argument.

Even if Trump weren't there the anti-science attitude by anyone would lean toward anti-vaxx.

[Chemisse]

9. Locking

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