Disgraceful: WP - Poll: 1 in 5 Americans thinks Obama is a Muslim

[Pirate Smile]

Poll: 1 in 5 Americans thinks Obama is a Muslim

By Jon Cohen and Michael D. Shear
Wednesday, August 18, 2010; 9:53 PM

The number of Americans who believe -- wrongly -- that President Obama is a Muslim has increased significantly since his inauguration and now account for nearly 20 percent of the nation's population.
Those results, from a new Pew Research Center survey, were drawn from interviews done before the president's comments about the construction of an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero, and they suggest that there could be serious political danger for the White House as the debate continues.

The president's religion, like his place of birth, has been the subject of Internet-spread rumors and falsehoods since before he began his presidential campaign, and the poll indicates that those rumors have gained currency since Obama took office. The number of people who now correctly identify Obama as a Christian has dropped to 34 percent, down from nearly half when he took office.

White House officials expressed dismay over the poll results. Faith adviser Joshua DuBois blamed "misinformation campaigns" by the president's opponents.
"While the president has been diligent and personally committed to his own Christian faith, there's certainly folks who are intent on spreading falsehoods about the president and his values and beliefs," DuBois said.

DuBois said the president's Christian faith plays an "important part" in his daily life. And he pointed to six speeches on faith that the president has given in which he talked about his beliefs. But Dubois said coverage of Obama's Christianity has been scant compared with news about the economic crisis, legislative battles and other issues.
Among those who say Obama is a Muslim, 60 percent say they learned about his religion from the media, suggesting that their opinions are fueled by misinformation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/18/AR2010081806913.html

The number of people who now correctly identify Obama as a Christian has dropped to 34 percent, down from nearly half when he took office.

34%???

More than a third of conservative Republicans now say Obama is a Muslim, nearly double the percentage saying so early last year. Independents, too, are now more apt to see the president as a Muslim: Among independents, 18 percent say he is a Muslim, up eight percentage points.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. This country is too fucking stupid to deserve a guy like Obama.

I guess W was more our speed, sadly.

[depakid]

9. On the other hand, on the other side of the aisle- some 10-20%

Will support and believe anything the man says- no matter how absurd.

The ill considered oil drilling triangulation and subsequent statements and events demonstrate that all too clearly.

[olegramps]

21. I fear that this country is too damn stupid to even survive.

[Jennicut]

2. And Muslims are so scary! Scarier then those darn Mexicans and gays!

[CTLawGuy]

16. they're like if you fused Mexicans and gays together!!!111!11

The Muslin's are doubly scary111

[Yavin4]

25. What About A Gay, Muslim, Mexican who Came Here Illegally?

OMG!!!

[Nite Owl]

3. Faux watchers

and Palin followers. Their minds won't be changed the brain functions are limited.

[4dsc]

18. You are correct sir!

Feeble minds will believe anything that comes from Faux news..

[bluestateguy]

4. In the past I have proposed intelligence tests for qualifying voters

but I always get shouted down with a bunch of hackneyed lectures about the Jim Crow era.

[Pirate Smile]

7. I think a President under constant attack needs a base that attacks back and provides some cover but

nobody does that.

He's supposed to deliver everything and it is very, VERY rare that I see other Democratic pols or pundits actually defending him. People let tons of BS slide. Actually, a lot like to add to the negativity and criticism - implying he's a liar or hiding something. Makes me sick.

[jkshaw]

5. 1 in 5 is not too surprising --

20%. About the percentage of die-hard Republican illiterates who listen to Fox News exclusively.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueMTexpat]

8. It's probably the same 20% who consistently approved of

BushCo policies.

If I had my druthers, a person's religion - or lack of it - would not be a topic of political discussion at all so long as that person demonstrates intelligence, competence, compassion, ability and desire to make life better for the people s/he serves.

[jonnyblitz]

10. you make is sound like being a Muslim is a bad thing . nt

[Pirate Smile]

11. If someone calls Obama a Muslim in front of you do you tell them they are wrong or do you say

"what's wrong with being a Muslim?" or do you do both?

Just curious.

Some people who love to slam Obama all the time seem perfectly happy to go ahead and feed the misinformation campaigns while some have the decency to call out the lies.

[rasputin1952]

13. I "do both", however...

I rarely hear such things, even out here in crimson red Nebraska.

I don't know who they are asking, maybe a pile of rocks, I cannot trust any kind of "poll" that comes up with a situation like that. I'm, thinking if said poll was ever even taken it had to be a "push poll".

[noel711]

27. When I hear this.. and I do...

my response is: "Well, if he's muslim, I am too...
by the way, I've changed my middle name to Hussein.."

They dont' know what to say.

[Pirate Smile]

29. "Well if he is ..." I don't think his allies do a very good job of defending him.

Tell them he isn't and they are dumbf#$ks if they think that. OK, modify for age and situational appropriate language but relaying the same sentiments. ;)

Yeah, it shouldn't matter but lets stay in reality here. It does.

[BootinUp]

12. Time for a major photo op campaign or something

even though I generally frown on that sort of thing, you have to fight fire with fire sometimes.

[Dinger]

14. Well, I For One Don't Believe It

People are stupid sometimes.

[impik]

15. Stupid country does not deserve this man

[smalll]

17. ... drawn from interviews done before the president's comments"

Guess it'll go even higher now. :shrug:

Somehow, I think if I were President, and 1 out of 5 Americans wrongly believed me to be a Muslim ...

it would make me even MORE convinced of the wisdom of NOT BRINGING UP THE ISSUE of the Ground Zero mosque!

But then, I'm not some far-seeing, deep-strategy three-dimesional chess grandmaster. Or something.

[tanyev]

19. See? Reverend Wright controversy completely forgotten!

:)

[lunatica]

20. There they go polling teabaggers exclusively again

and saying it's what the whole country thinks.

[oviedodem]

22. Realize that 20% represents 62,006,010 people in the U.S. = SAD

[AngryAmish]

23. Americans are shit

[bigdarryl]

24. The sad thing is they act as if being a Muslim is something wrong

even though he isn't one this goes to show the BIGOTRY in this country.

[ncteechur]

26. these are the same folks who believe they have been abducted by aliens at least once in their lives

[Milo_Bloom]

28. Who cares?

[AtomicKitten]

30. No worries. They are either ignorant (correctable) or would never vote for Pres Obama anyway.

[Steely_Dan]

31. There just isn't any accounting...

for dumb.

-P

[besdayz]

32. a

the stat is more a measure of people too stubborn to admit otherwise.....its a measure of partisan fear mongering.....