Christine “I’m not a witch” O’Donnell isn’t alone
Almost seven out of ten registered Republicans, 68% specifically, believe demonic possession is real. Overall, the number drops to 57% of all registered voters, thanks to 49% of Democrats.
Women outweigh men slightly, with 59% of women and 56% of men believing in possession.
All this incredible news comes thanks to Public Policy Polling (PPP), one of the most-respected polling organizations in America.
“In a classic example of cognitive dissonance, only 37 percent of registered voters–both Democrat and Republican–believe in ghosts, although 57 percent believe in demonic possession,” Salon.com reports today:
For registered Republicans who do believe in demonic possession (which is, again, the majority), there is at least one standout elected official who is taking this issue seriously and has educated himself about spiritual exorcism.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has written a first-hand account about witnessing an exorcism while he was in college.
“Kneeling on the ground, my friends were chanting, ‘Satan, I command you to leave this woman.’ Others exhorted all ‘demons to leave in the name of Christ,’â€Â Jindal wrote.
Jindal made presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s short list for VP picks–but, according to the Associated Press, this story of exorcism was a strike against the governor. (The Public Policy Poll hadn’t come out yet.)
Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell also has considerable knowledge of witchcraft, although this expertise didn’t win her the race in 2010.
“I dabbled into witchcraft — I never joined a coven,â€Â she said to ABC . “But I did, I did. I dabbled into witchcraft. I hung around people who were doing these things. I’m not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do,†she said.
“One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn’t know it. I mean, there’s little blood there and stuff like that,†she said. “We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a satanic altar.â€