More Values: we're #2

Much has been made of the fact that in the Presidential election exit polls more people chose moral values than any other issue as the most important thing in deciding how they would vote. 22% said moral values was their main reason. This includes Iraq, terrorism, economy, etc. It's a bit misleading though. Although the poll divided them into two issues, Iraq and terrorism are actually the same issue. If you accepted George Bush's version of the world, you called it terrorism, since Iraq is the center of the war on terror. If you bought John Kerry's vision of the world, you see Iraq as being central to your opposition to Bush, and not part of the war on terror. So you called it Iraq. Opposite sides of the same coin.

19% of people said terrorism was their top issue.
86% of those who said terrorism voted for Bush.

15% of people said Iraq was their top issue.
74% of those who said Iraq voted for Kerry.

Conclusion: More people bought into Bush's view of the war on terror than Kerry's.

Regardless, the category "moral values", which should actually be called "narrow knee-jerk White Evangelical moral values" would have come in a distant second to the combined Iraq/terrorism category at 34%.