The American people are not stupid. Some are uninformed, while others are misinformed.

[beachmom]

Let's not get all condescending, folks. It doesn't really help matters. In 2004, they weren't stupid -- they were scared and easily influenced by fear mongering propaganda. This year there is a fear of a different threat: the economy tanking while they can't afford to fill up their tanks. BUT, there are plenty of voices out there saying this gas tax holiday is about the worst energy policy idea EVER. That info MAY trickle down to voters. Obama's ads are helpful, as are the newspapers. I also have seen many a cable show say that it was a bad idea.

The uninformed simply don't bother to get much news, and the misinformed get that small amount of news from right wing friend opinion leaders.

I would say let's wait and see what happens Tuesday. Hopefully, they'll ask about it in the exit polls. Then we can have this conversation again.

[Yossariant]

1. Many are stupid.

[sandnsea]

2. Thanks

I particularly love those kinds of posts after seeing what passes for wisdom at DU some days. :crazy:

:hi:

[FlyingSquirrel]

3. The ones who ride my bus are stupid. nt

[beachmom]

5. But did you ask them where they get their news? To me, the key is reading.

Even if reading only Newsweek or Time. As flawed as those publications are, the simple act of reading a whole article makes you a better informed citizen.

[FlyingSquirrel]

15. No, no. You don't understand.

They try to get me to tell them when this bus or that bus will be here or there while I'm trying to friggin' DRIVE MY ROUTE and I clearly don't have the time to look up the information for them. So I point to the Service Guide and say, take one! And they give me this blank look and say never mind.

Because they can't READ.

Ok, maybe they're smart but illiterate.

:shrug:

[scheming daemons]

4. The rightwing nutjobs in my neighborhood ARE stupid...

[davidpdx]

6. I think you hit on an excellent point

Many voters either simply don't have the time or take the time to read about candidates or issues. It also doesn't help when some candidates appeal to the lowest common denominator. In 2004, Bush was able to capitalize on people's fears. If you look at his approval rating today, there is no way he'd get re-elected (if it were possible). People clearly have buyer's remorse. We'll see if they make the same mistake again and buy into the fear mongering.

[RC]

8. If bu$h could be "elected" again, the spin machine would be going into

the second rinse cycle already. He'd be made out to be our Saviour and 51% of the voters would vote for him again. Strange how that works.

[Golden Raisin]

28. If Bush bombs Iran or

there's another big, domestic terror attack (genuine or manufactured), just watch how fast they'd rally around him, egged on by the whore MSM propaganda machine, and "re-elect" him or allow him to stay in power for a 3rd term while the "homeland" was in crisis. And don't forget the Supreme Court is in his back pocket (they installed him the first time) and this Congress is worse than useless.

[TexasLady]

7. After my kids' returned from their father's RW stupid-party Reunion

I'd have to say that there's a whole bunch of stewpid people in Central Texas. Luckily my kids all recieved a 'smart gene' from moi, and are voting Democrat this year, but man-oh-man, the excuses for voting for McCain from them, ugh and more...UGH!

I told my kids that their backwards relatives are living so close to the 'Pig Ranch', that they can't see anything or smell anything but pig-shit, so don't expect an informed answer...The family motto? Mega dittos from central Texas Bigots everywhere...Where we let the dumbasses think FOR us, so WE don't HAVE to. :puke:

[Truthy Nessy]

9. Read about these misinformed and stupid Americans in

Joe Bageant's book. Deer Hunting with Jesus.
http://www.joebageant.com/

my brother lives in NJ and he has given himself the nickname Bubba...He sounds and acts like many of the people in this book on the author's small home town in Virginia.

I just took a cross country tour of America, Seven thousand miles seeing Ohio, Ill, Ind, Mo,Ok, Texas,New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. I met many people in these states that are right from the pages of this book. It was so disappointing because America is no longer the greatest country in the world and it hasn't been for a long, long time. A country is what its people are.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. Exactly

America is filled with a bunch of idiots. If this wasn't the case then we wouldn't have had 8 years of Bush.

[BlooInBloo]

10. The American people are fucking idiots. That's why this fight is so hard...

Regardless of who I support.

[pdxmom]

11. In this day and age, if someone is misinformed or uninformed, then

it is because they choose to be. I call that stupid.

[Vote2008]

12. It is hard to define stupid! (nt)

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Sorry, I must disagree.

Just think about how stupid the average person is, and consider that half of the population is stupider than that.

Many, many people ARE stupid. And the stupidest are those who CHOOSE to be stupid.

[Two Americas]

16. "elitists"

This is why we are seen by much of the public as "elitists" - arrogant, condescending, and self-righteous.

People have not been so much voting for Republicans nor supporting right wing ideas, they have been voting to reject that ugly side of liberalism. A small minority of activists sets the tone for this. They are domineering and aggressive, and as we can see right here everyday, more than willing to turn on their own on the slightest provocation or flimsiest of reasons.

The New Deal coalition can be restored, and the right wingers routed for a generation or more, once we become again the party that fights for the everyday people in the ongoing political battle, rather than against them in a cultural war that was created and is controlled by the extreme political right wing.

The stakes are so high, the dangers are so great, and we have so much to gain and so little to lose, that there is no longer any excuse to trade away results for the sake of being able to feel self-righteous and superior.

[Justitia]

19. Anti-intellectualism is a RW tool (i.e., "elitists"). It's useful in telling people what to think.

It promotes authoritarianism.

[Two Americas]

20. of course it is

So why don't we stop handing that tool to them?

There is plenty of promotion of authoritarianism going on among Democrats, by the way.

[Justitia]

21. Sorry, to me, it looks like you've fallen prey to the idea. -eom

[Two Americas]

24. look again, I guess?

I don't recall that I have ever promoted creationism, supported the administration's politicization of science and anti-science positions and actions, spoken out in support of the faith-based initiatives project, denied global warming, called for de-funding education - quite to the contrary on all points. Upon what rational basis, or by what criteria, could I be described as an anti-intellectual?

The Republicans say the Democrats are weak and don't know what they stand for. The fact that the Republicans are our political enemies does not mean that the Democrats are therefore strong and therefore do have a clear program based on the traditional principles and ideals of the party. The fact is, they aren't and they don't.

Basing a political philosophy upon merely taking the opposite positions to whatever the right wingers come up with is not very intelligent on our part, and that is too often the case. This is how we let the right wing propagandists define us, define the issues, and create and control the political context within which we operate. That allows the Republicans to run circles around us and beat us again and again - in terms of results. We focus on being "right." They are more than happy to let us be right about things, so long as we keep losing.

[Justitia]

27. I heartily disagree. The Democratic Party has been the only party of ideas & progress.

The Republican Party is the antithesis of that.

All good things that have ever been done collectively for the good of the American People has been accomplished by the Democratic Party, and contrary to media meme & spin, we are the mainstream majority.

The right wingers are not the ones putting forth progressive ideas, that is Us, and has always been Us, the RWers have always been reactionary, not proactive.

I am very proud of the Democratic Party, it's ideals and it's great accomplishments.

The republican party doesn't do much beyond start needless wars, destroy the federal gov't, foster division among our citizens and attempt to quash any policy that benefits the common good at the perceived expense of the very few.

I have never doubted, not for one nano second, that the Democratic Party is CLEARLY the superior of the two, and always has been.

Maybe you should reacquaint yourself with the tremendous accomplishments of Our Party - here's a start:

Social Security
Minimum Wage Law
Women's Suffrage Amendment
8 Hour Workday
40 Hour Workweek
Worker's Compensation Act
Unemployment Compensation Act
National Labor Relations Act
Rural Electrification Act
Securities & Exchange Act
Clayton Antitrust Act
G.I. Bill of Rights
School Lunch Program
Marshall Plan
NATO
Peace Corps
Medicare
Operation Head Start
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Guaranteed Student Loan Program
Pell Grant Program
Medicaid
Water Quality Act
Clean Air Act
Family & Medical Leave Act
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
CDC - Center for Disease Control & Prevention
Full Employment Act
Federal Home Loan Program
Older Americans Act

Democrats are committed to improving the government, we believe in good government and it's ability to positively affect the lives of all Americans.

I am very proud of Our Party, and very proud to be a Democrat.

[Two Americas]

31. oh, I agree

Your list of achievements does represent what the Democratic party once was. I am talking about what it has become.

When being proud of what once was becomes a barrier to looking honestly at what is and prevents us from moving to what can be, it is more about nostalgia than anything else, and becomes reactionary rather than progressive. "Look what we did for you in the past, so shut up about what we are doing now and be loyal."

Associating oneself with the past achievements of the Democratic party, and then saying "therefore we are better," has become an excuse for not doing the difficult things that were required to get those things accomplished in the first place.

If this were a matter of making a selection of merchandise as a consumer out shopping, then yes the Democratic party is clearly "the better choice." But that is not how politics works.

[melody]

17. Those bigoted toward Americans are impossible to reason with

As impossible to reason with as any other bigot.

I wouldn't bother -- people who'd never think of themselves as bigots will pronounce "all Americans" to be "stupid" or what-have-you, never realizing they are betraying themselves to be every bit as ignorant as any other form of bigot.

[Hoof Hearted]

18. Obamabots have already decided they ARE stupid, you must have missed the meeting.

[DerekJ]

22. You’re collectively (not individually) the dumbest civilized (barely?!!) country.

[Cali_Democrat]

26. LOL

Don't mince words. Our country fucking sucks, trust me ;)

[Roxy66]

23. Sorry...most are stupid. Bush being re-elected proves it.

[Cali_Democrat]

25. Exactly

This post is in response to my post above. Check it out

[quantass]

29. Americans rely HEAVILY on MSM for their "truth" and how they should "think"

because they want to be lazy and be told if and when they should be angry about something.

HOWEVER, i think the people will rise up against it and not listen when things severly affect their every day lives...so no matter ho wmuch the media tells them all is good they will say BS and do something about it....that is when Democrats, i notice, tend to win...

We appear to be in that time again and when Obama is the offical nominee i think its going to be a tuff sell by McCain and his heavy support from the MSM and other repub organizations to stop Obama because i feel America is tired of the pain....at least for now

[spoony]

30. Good points, beachmom. k/r n/t

[opihimoimoi]

32. We are the result of a malicious, exploitive Force...herded into the corner w Dunce caps

If the equation is: Smart Voting = smart leaders....then we got had...

[Kahuna]

33. Hmmm. Is that why we have to IMPORT smart people to be engineers?

:silly:

[BlooInBloo]

34. Heh-indeedy.

[Toucano]

35. Selfish, ignorant, uninformed, and misinformed.

And STUPID for accepting themselves in that state.

[canadian_is_cold]

36. Stupid is, as stupid does... Or does not do. n/t

[depakid]

37. Not sure how else you'd define willful failure to learn

either about the probably effects of current policies or from repeated past mistakes.

At some point, being misinformed and disinterested- even after seeing or suffering from the economic consequences amounts to stupidity.

[Hoof Hearted]

38. Looks as though your peers disagree with you. Obama suppoters to America - You're STUPID!

I can't wait for the bumper stickers.

[Vinca]

39. I have to disagree. If this country wasn't filled to the gills with stupid people,

George W. Bush would never have gotten a second term.